The Red Sorcerer
by curlycue2102
Summary: AU. Elise is trapped in Narnia, and all she wants to do is go home. With the help of King Caspian and others, will she be able to return? Only one thing is for certain - it won't be easy. Caspian/OC. Better than it sounds?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

More than anything, Elise d'Orsay wanted the war to be over. It had been raging for far too long, and it had taken far too great a toll on her family. Or, perhaps, what _had_ been her family was a better way to phrase it. Her father was dead, killed in battle, and her mother's spirit had died along with him. Their tiny family was forced to move out of London and live with her grandparents in the country.

The country. According to the most recent census, the town of Whitford was home to around four hundred people, and it showed. In fact, she doubted there were even that many, as the census had been taken before the war had commenced.

It was horribly boring, here, with nothing at all to do. Aside from work, that is. And at eighteen years old, she had to pull her own weight; so, she had gotten a job at the local convenience store, "Todd's Apothecary." In her somewhat ridiculously self-proclaimed cosmopolitan opinion, everything was terribly backwards in this town – it was like a time capsule. But, to be fair, there were still horse-drawn carriages milling about. Oh, how she missed the city – _her_ city. But it was not her city anymore. It was destroyed – unrecognizable. And it broke her heart.

It _all_ broke her heart: her father's death, her younger brother's confusion and frustration, the burden they imposed on her aging grandparents. But what could she do? She couldn't very well stop the war – hell, she couldn't even _fight_ in the war. Useless. She was utterly useless.

But Elise had to remind herself that however bad _she_ felt, her mother felt ten times worse.

By all accounts, Elise's mother, Jane, had been an absolutely stunning woman in the bloom of her youth. At only seventeen, she'd wed a charming and charismatic Frenchman named Jacques d'Orsay, and rest, as they say, is history. But now, Mrs. d'Orsay's face was haggard and sallow; she was painfully thin, there were dark bags under her eyes, and her cheeks were hollowed. The poor woman looked much too old to be thirty-six, and she retained not even a glimmer of her former beauty. This saddened the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Finnegan, her parents, to no end; they had watched their only daughter disintegrate into a walking ghost of a woman before their very eyes. They did what they could by providing lodgings, but her condition seemed to deteriorate by the day.

That left Elise, then, to take care of her brother, Robert. He was a young lad, at only seven years old. He didn't understand. He couldn't understand. His father, the person he'd loved most in the world, was dead. He didn't fully understand death, and it was perhaps better that way. Regardless, Robbie was strong and determined and, unlike his mother and he did not mourn his father, but rather yearned for revenge (as much as a seven year old could, anyway). His newest aspiration was becoming a fighter pilot – he was absolutely obsessed. Elise would drag him to the one-roomed schoolhouse each day, amongst with widowed mothers and fatherless children. It provided a depressing scene, to say the very least. But still, a loving smirk would remain plastered on her face. His naïve absurdity was a glimmer of light in the darkest of times.

"As soon as I'm old enough," he assured her, "I'm going after them. They can't get away with this! The good guys always win!"

"Yes, yes, Robbie. Come along."

"You're not _listening_, Ellie. I'm going to, I swear on it!"

"By the time you're old enough to fight, I hope the war's over," she said thoughtfully. "It's already gone on long enough, and you're a long ways away from being able to enlist."

He scowled at her stubbornly; he hated being young.

Once she'd dropped him off in the schoolyard, she headed to Todd's. Her shift began at eight, and if she were late again, Mrs. Todd would be furious. It seemed, for some reason, that Elise was late to everything. Perhaps she spent too much time talking to her brother, or too much time getting ready in the morning, or too much time staring at the clouds as she walked down the sidewalk. Whatever the case was, she'd earned herself the reputation of being quite the daydreamer.

But today, she was on time. Not that it really mattered, to be brutally honest; over the course of the day, only about twenty people came into the shop. When her shift ended at five, she collected her £ 5 salary and went home.

Oh, the monotony – every day, it was the same. She would say hello to Charlie, the handsome young bartender who swept the steps of the Red Fox as she walked by, preparing for the influx of nearly all the males left in the town. The pub never got too rowdy, though, seeing as all the men were past fighting age. Charlie had been discharged early because of a devastating injury to his leg. But, even though he would forever walk with a limp, he was jovial and optimistic. Elise couldn't fathom it, but perhaps she was just too cynical for her own good. After she passed the pub, she would wave to her their neighbor, Mrs. Everett, who could habitually be seen placing a freshly baked meat pie on the windowsill.

"Grandma, Grandpa, I'm home!" she announced once she'd walked through the door. Her mother wasn't there, she knew, because her job as a secretary didn't let out until seven.

"Oh, come in, love, come in. You're just in time to help me start dinner," her grandmother said.

It appeared that she was preparing some sort of chicken stew.

"Would you be a dear and peel the potatoes for me?"

"Of course, Grandma. Where are Grandpa and Robbie?"

"Robbie's in his room doing his schoolwork and your grandfather is in the living room listening to the radio, I believe."

Everything was just as it always was, then.

"Oh darling, I have a favor to ask – tomorrow, do you think you could take these eggs to Mrs. Greenbury on your way to work? I have to pay her back for that carton of milk she lent us."

"Sure, I'd be happy to."

"Thank you, Ellie. You're such a help to me, you remind me of your mother when she was your age."

Elise blushed and muttered, "Thanks."

At seven fifteen, Mrs. d'Orsay returned as expected. The patchwork family then dined together, and Elise's mother stepped outside for her ritual cigarette break while the other two females cleaned the dishes. Her grandfather entertained Robbie for a while, sitting him on his knee and recounting the horrors of the Great War. His oldest son – their mother's older brother – had perished in the trenches amid a cloud of mustard gas. It had been a truly horrible demise, and it was a reminder that their family was no stranger to the ravages of war.

Then, as usual, their mother went "out" (to the pub), leaving Elise to put her brother to bed.

"Tell me a story, Ellie," he whined.

"You know I don't like the kind of stories you do…"

"It doesn't have to be about war, then. Just no _romance_."

Elise chuckled, before sighing, "Fine. Once upon a time, there was a handsome, dashing, suave, rogue pirate named Captain Balthazar Bonham-Clarke. Despite his young age, he was the most fearsome pirate in the Indian Ocean – no, not just the Indian Ocean – he was the most fearsome pirate in all the land. He was as strong as an ox, but his only weakness was that he had a wooden leg. He and his crew sailed the seas on his ship, the _Bonnie_ _Lass_. It was a magnificent ship, with red sails and a figurehead of a beautiful mermaid. One day, Balthazar was getting ready to pillage a town on the island of Madagascar, when another pirate ship, the _Thunder_, pulled up alongside him. The captain of this ship was the second-most fearsome pirate in all the land, Captain Romulus Renegadulus."

She paused, snickering slightly at the ridiculousness of the names she'd chosen, before continuing, "Unlike Balthazar, he was absolutely hideous. Every single one of his teeth was made of either gold and silver, and one of his eyes had been blinded and was therefore a pale, pale blue, while the other one was dark brown – some would even call it red. His hair was black, peppered with gray, and in thick knots. Oh yeah, and he also had a hook as his left hand. So, Romulus came up along side him and yelled out, 'Pull over ye ship, Balty! Surrender, and we won't gut every last one of ye!' Naturally, Balthazar was not at all intimidated by Romulus, so he cried out, 'Never, you grimy old coot! _You_ surrender, and maybe I'll let you live!' With that, he signaled for his crew to begin firing the cannons."

Elise paused again and looked at her brother, who had since fallen asleep. She sighed once more – he always fell asleep before she got to finish her stories. Was she really _that_boring? She'd particularly like this one, too. Oh well, she supposed there would be plenty of other opportunities to continue her tale.

She then put on her nightgown and slipped into the bed beside Robbie's, blowing out her candle and drifting to sleep…

_(The next day…)_

"Ellie! Ellie, wake up!"

"Huh, what? What is it? Is everything all right?" she asked, groggily sitting up.

"You've got to take me to school! You overslept – again!"

"Sorry," she muttered, quickly ushering him out of the room, changing, and running a comb through her hair. In record time (no, really, it was a new record – sometimes she liked to time herself. It was one of her… quirks), she was ready to go and pulling Robbie along to school.

She was just about to head to work, when she remembered – the eggs!

She sprinted back home, grabbed them, and rushed to Mrs. Greenbury's. It would be a miracle if she didn't drop any of them, but she had to go as fast as she could – she couldn't be late for work. If she got fired, they would be in deep trouble… The family needed her salary, meager as it was.

In the delivery process, however, something very unfortunate happened. When she was just in front her destination, a carriage came out of nowhere (not really, she just didn't see it). She stood in front of the rearing horses, paralyzed by fear. The last thing she remembered hearing was the splatter of eggs on cobblestones. Then, everything went black…


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter I**

Elise landed in water – a deep pool of water, at that. How, she did not know. One minute she was about to get run over, and the next she was falling into some sort of lake.

She was a strong swimmer, but the weight of her dress was making it difficult to break the surface. Eventually, however, her head emerged from the plane of water and she was able to take in a much-needed breath of fresh air. Her surroundings were utterly foreign – she appeared to be in some sort of woodland setting, but to her great bewilderment, she had no idea how she'd gotten there. She climbed onto a nearby grassy bank, sopping wet, and sat in silence for a moment. As she allowed the droplets of water to roll off her and attempted to process what had happened, she heard something peculiar.

"Are you all right, Miss?" a high-pitched but decidedly male voice asked.

She looked around. She was alone, so where on earth was the sound coming from?

"Excuse me? Who's there? Show yourself!" she demanded, teeth chattering.

"No need to get testy, I just was wondering if you were hurt," it said defensively.

She turned her head from left to right, desperately searching for the source of the noise.

Someone cleared their throat. "Down here, Miss."

She looked down. A rabbit. A gray, fluffy rabbit. Standing upright. Talking to her. She couldn't help it – she screamed.

"Calm down, calm down! My, you're a jumpy one, aren't you? And they say rabbits are skittish!"

"You – you can talk!"

"Yes, thank you for stating the obvious, Madam."

"No, no, no. You're a rabbit! You can't talk."

"Sure I can! All rabbits can talk! Are you feeling all right? Perhaps you've hit your head?"

"Yes – yes, I've hit my head, that's it. This isn't real."

"Yes it is – I'm _very_ real," he bristled, somewhat insulted. "I merely meant to suggest that perhaps you've temporarily forgotten who you are or something; you know, amnesia and all that."

"Where am I? Wonderland?" she'd meant it as a joke, but somehow the humor was lost in the veracity of the situation.

"Wonderland? Goodness, no, don't be ridiculous. This is Narnia, my dear girl. Are you sure you're fine? Perhaps you'd like something to drink?"

"Narnia?"

The rabbit looked as if he'd had a sudden epiphany. "_I_know what your problem is!" he exclaimed suddenly. "You're not from here, are you? You're a daughter of Eve! I should have known it from the start… I'd thought perhaps you were a water sprite, what with your entrance and such – but enough of my rambling. How exciting! I'd thought they'd all gone. Come, come, this way, I'll explain everything!"

"Where are we going?" she asked, mindlessly following him.

"To my burrow, of course."

"Will I fit in it?"

"Of course you will, Miss, don't be ridiculous. I entertain quite a few of the larger species."

They arrived at his "burrow," which was really more of an underground cottage. It was cramped, but not nearly as small as she'd expected. The rabbit immediately busied himself with a teakettle, and Elise sat down on a wooden bench.

"Now, my dear, what is your name?" he said once he'd sat down.

"Elise."

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Conwick Lapitt."

"Pleasure. Now, would you mind explaining to me what's going on?"

"All in good time, all in good time. But first – tea?"

She nodded wordlessly, waiting for him to continue. However, she could only hold her questions in for so long – "Are all the animals here… like you? I mean, can they all speak?"

"Yes, of course! They all have the ability, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they all use it, mind you. Like I said, my dear, you are in Narnia. Every so often some sons of Adam or daughters of Eve turn up, though, and they always go on to great things – the Kings and Queens of Old were of your world, I believe."

"The Kings and Queens of Old?"

"Yes, Kings Peter and Edmund and Queens Susan and Lucy. King Peter and Queen Susan have been gone for quite some time now – I do not believe that they will ever be returning."

"So people can go between both worlds, then? I'm not stuck here?"

"No, you're not."

"How do I get back?"

"Goodness me, I don't know! Aslan decides when you go back."

"Aslan?"

"Yes, he is the supreme King of Narnia. Very elusive, though – don't expect to catch a glimpse of him any time soon."

"Not one of the Kings and Queens of Old is here now, then?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"So, am I the only human – sorry, _daughter of Eve_ – here at the moment?"

"Oh no, there are always the Telmarines, I suppose…"

"Telmarines?"

"Yes, from Telmar. They are like you. They rule Narnia – our king is a Telmarine; his name is Caspian X. He is a benevolent ruler, as far as I can tell."

"How do I find these Telmarines?"

"Oh, they're here and there – but I wouldn't go out looking for them."

"Why not?"

"Although our king is merciful, his people are not. Telmarines are very cruel – there's no telling what one might do to you. It'd be dangerous for you to go out on your own anyway; you don't know anything about this world."

"How do I get to this Caspian, then?"

Conwick chuckled, "You'll never get to Caspian, my dear, he's the _king_. Don't you have kings from where you're from?"

Again, she nodded fervently; her ability to speak was being seriously hampered by the shock of the entire order.

"Then you'll know that they don't just wander about aimlessly," he explained. "No, the odds of you meeting him are very slim – very slim indeed."

Elise chewed the inside of her cheek pensively for a moment. "Just what, exactly, are the risks in meeting a Telmarine?"

"Well, first of all, the only Telmarines you're likely to see are soldiers. But you'd know the dangers better than I, they're _your_ species, after all."

She nodded her head distractedly, before saying, "I'm going to go out for a walk – explore a bit. Thank you for explaining all this to me."

"Of course, Elise, but I've just gotten to the beginning of it. Nevertheless, go, explore. You're welcome to stay here, if you'd like – in fact, I'd encourage you to. You've nowhere else to go, do you? Just try to be back before dark."

"Alright, thank you, Conwick." She flashed him a grin before dashing out of the cottage.

Where to begin, where to begin? She had so much to do. Her mind was racing a mile a minute; she needed to find Aslan, but first, she needed to get to the Telmarines. Perhaps they could help her find him. _Think, Ellie, think_, she told herself, _they're soldiers – soldiers go where there's crime. You need to get into trouble. That's it, yeah? Get arrested. Brilliant one, Ells. Oh well, it's the best you've got so you might as well give it a go. What's the worst that could happen?_ Eventually, she decided that the worst that could happen was, indeed, very bad, but it was worth the risk. She could be dreaming, for all she knew. It wasn't like if she died here she would die in real life, right? _Right? _

Right. This was not real. She might as well spice things up a bit anyway – heck, she might even have some fun in the process.

All of a sudden, she tripped over something. "Oof," was the noise that escaped her lips.

"Hey there, lass, watch where yer goin'!" someone yelled angrily.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," she said to what appeared to be some sort of large, web-footed rodent.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he said, enraged.

"What? Nothing! I – I'm sorry, gosh."

He was walking towards her menacingly, but a fox stopped him.

"Honestly, Capricious," she said silkily, "mind your temper. She's obviously not from around here."

"Mind yer own business, Persephia." However, he continued on his way.

Elise turned to the fox and said, "Thank you, that was kind of you."

"It's the least I can do for a daughter of Eve."

She began to leave, but Elise decided to push her luck. "Hey," she said, "you wouldn't happen to know where I could find Telmar, would you?"

The fox cocked her head to the side. "It is not far – only about three days' journey. But I don't know why you'd want to go _there_."

"What's the matter with it?"

"The Telmarines have committed genocide on the Narnians in the past; they are fearsome brutes. I would stay away from them, if I were you."

Elise thought for a moment – this made two warnings, now. But she wasn't buying it – she had to see for herself. Plus, her situation was… unique.

"Do you by any chance know where I could buy a map?"

The fox grinned at her, revealing a row of shiny, pointed teeth.

_(Later…)_

"Conwick? Conwick, I'm back."

"Welcome, welcome, Miss Elise. Did you enjoy your excursion?"

"I suppose so. I've bought a map." Bought, perhaps, wasn't the correct terminology; _borrowed_, was more accurate.

"What ever for?"

"I'm going to Telmar tomorrow. I've been told that it's a three days' journey, but I think if I leave early and move quickly enough I can make it in two."

"You're going to brave through Narnia for two days? All on your own? But you've only just arrived!"

"What other choice do I have? I can't stay here and be idle – I want to go home."

"I'll go with you, then."

"Oh no, I didn't mean that – I don't want you to trouble yourself."

"I can't let you go alone – it would be irresponsible. If anything happened to you, it would be my fault."

"Well, that's very kind of you."

"Yes, yes, then we'd best be going to sleep – we have a long few days ahead of us."

Before Elise did fall asleep, however, she wondered again how all of this had happened. Could she really sleep in a dream? What if she dreamt while she was sleeping? Was it possible to have a dream within a dream? There were so many questions she would never know the answer to, and she felt almost childlike in her ignorance.

_(The next day…)_

"Come on, Miss Elise, let's go!"

Why was it that she always woke to people urging her along?

"Okay, okay," she mumbled.

She barely had time to rub the sleep from her eyes before the rabbit started babbling. "These are the provisions," Conwick said, motioning to a satchel. "You'll have to carry it for, well, obvious reasons."

Elise nodded and swung it over her shoulder. "This is all we need?"

"It's only a short journey, and I can certainly forage for things along the way. I think that should be sufficient."

"Alright, if you say so. Let's get going, then, I guess."

After about three hours of walking, Elise was beginning to feel out of shape. Sure, she walked to work everyday, but it was nothing like _this_. They were hiking through the fields, not walking down the sidewalk. To be fair, though, they had yet to pass through any wooded areas, and for that she was thankful.

"How much longer?" she groaned.

Conwick snickered. "If you think this is bad, then you're in for a hard journey, missy. Welcome to Narnia – this could barely even be considered a stroll."

Her eyes widened; now she _really_wanted to go home.

That night, they made a fire and boiled some vegetables; Conwick was, understandably, a vegetarian. Before she slipped off into a slumber, Elise lay on her back and observed the stars – they were most definitely not the same ones from back home. They were brighter, more numerous. She'd be inclined to say they were more beautiful, too, if she hadn't been biased.

Despite the vividness of her surroundings, however, she felt an overwhelming sense of distress and confusion. How had she gotten here? Better yet, _why_was she here?

Maybe this King Caspian could help her. And if he couldn't, maybe he could get Aslan to help her. That was her only shot at getting home.

The next two days passed in the same fashion: walking, talking, eating, and sleeping. And then, finally, _finally_, they'd arrived at the gates of Telmar. Boy, were they magnificent: an enormous wall encompassed the capital, and inside, on the top of the hill, there was the palace, where Caspian resided. Actually, it was more of a citadel than a palace – there were guards, from what she could see off in the distance, at every corner.

Yes, there were guards _everywhere_. Clad in armor and donning swords, they roamed the city menacingly. They also stood in front of the gates. Which meant, Elise realized abruptly, that they would have to get past them.

"Are they just going to let us in?" she asked Conwick nervously.

"They should, I mean, we have nothing to hide."

She nodded anxiously. He was right. "I don't need to have papers or anything like that?"

"Not unless they've instituted a new policy. Although," he mumbled irritably under his breath, "it wouldn't surprise me if they did."

Elise didn't like the sound of that, but nevertheless, she straightened herself and pushed back her shoulders – she was good at things like this, charming people. She'd inherited her charisma from her father. She strode directly in front of the two guards with a false air of confidence that masked her inner dread.

"Hello, sirs," she said sweetly, "would you mind letting me and my friend inside?"

They eyed her suspiciously. "What business do you have here?" one demanded.

"It's my sister's wedding in a few days," she lied fluidly, "and I wish to buy some renowned Telmarine textiles for her as a gift."

Conwick looked a bit put-off by how easily she'd fabricated the story, but the guards seemed to believe her.

Wordlessly, they stood aside and drew open the wrought-iron gates.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

_That was easy enough_, Elise thought in relief. Now, she just had to get herself arrested, which wouldn't be _difficult_, per se, just unpleasant. The only tricky part was gathering the courage to go through with it – the soldiers were awfully burly looking, and after all the warnings she'd gotten she was beginning to rethink her plan.

_You can do it Elise_, she told herself, _do it for Robbie._ Robbie. She missed him terribly. How was he managing without her? Who was taking him to school? Reading him bedtime stories? She needed to get back for his sake, if not for her own.

But she soaked in the scenery before she making her move; she had to observe the city, plan her escape route. It wouldn't be _too_ difficult. There were people everywhere – hardly any Narnians, though, she noticed. The architecture reminded her greatly of paintings she'd seen of medieval Spain and all in all, it was quite beautiful, albeit a bit dirty.

That's when she locked eyes on her target – a barrel of oranges. She would steal one orange. It was perfect: not valuable enough to sentence her to death, but not petty enough for them to let her off (not that she really had to worry about that – they certainly didn't look like the merciful type).

"Elise," Conwick began tentatively, "I don't like that look in your eye…"

"Don't wait up, Conwick," she said, winking. With that, she dashed off and grabbed one of the fruits. She was swift, but not swift enough for no one to notice.

"Hey!" the merchant exclaimed, "Thief! Stop her! She's stolen from me!"

A small crowd began to chase after her, and she wove nimbly between oncoming mercantile carts and pedestrians. She snuck through shadowed alleys and climbed on rooftops, all the while a larger and larger crowd began to form. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins – and she realized suddenly that she was actually _enjoying _herself. She felt like a proper heroine out of one of Robbie's bedtime stories.

She looked back to admire her handiwork – she'd always been a little too vain than was good for her – and failed to see that the roof had ended. She fell ungracefully into a strategically placed bale of hay. She was in irons before she even realized what was happening.

"You're coming with us, gutter rat," an ugly guard with an eye-patch boomed.

"That's no way to speak to a lady," she mouthed off. The thrill of the pursuit had made her brazen.

"It's a good thing you're not a lady then, isn't it?"

She scowled. _How rude_.

They dragged her up to the palace, just like she wanted. She'd successfully infiltrated the premises; now, to find Caspian.

"Take me to King Caspian," she insisted, "I want to have a fair hearing!"

"Hearing? Girl, why in Aslan's name would you think you are entitled to hearing? His Highness King Caspian does not deal with scum such as yourself. You're going straight to the dungeon."

What? No! This was not according to plan…

"Look at me," she said conspiratorially, "do I _look_ like your ordinary criminal? I highly suggest you take me to King Caspian. For his own good."

"You look just like any other street wench to me." He had a point; her dress was completely filthy from three days of abuse and her wavy chestnut hair was a veritable rat's nest.

She rolled her eyes. "No, I mean, do I look like a Telmarine? Look around you."

She had a point – she did not look like a Telmarine at all, with her extraordinarily pale skin and blue eyes. _Thank God it's never sunny in Whitford_, she thought to herself.

"What are you trying to say," the soldier asked, narrowing his eyes.

"All I mean is that I may have some information for your dear king. Some very _vital_ information, at that." She didn't want to be accused of treason, and she knew she was heading into that territory, but she also _had_to get the king's attention.

The soldier was obviously at war with himself regarding whether or not to take her seriously. It appeared however, that he'd rather take the risk of being wrong than overlook such a grave claim.

"Oi, Rafaelo," he said to another guard, "she wants to see the king."

Rafaelo snorted and said, "Of course she does. I think every woman in this entire _kingdom_ wants to see King Caspian."

Elise shot him a puzzled look, but her soldier (as she had began to mentally refer to him as) continued, "She says it's important – regarding the king's safety."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," she butted in, "I know for a fact that there are some very formidable adversaries out there that have specific intentions to harm the king."

"And you can name these 'adversaries' by name?"

"Yes, but not to you. I've already said, I want to talk to the king directly."

"Take her to him," Rafaelo instructed begrudgingly. "You _better_ not be wasting his time," he warned, sticking his sword at the base of her neck.

Elise gulped and nodded fearfully.

They made their way down a wide stone hallway, towards a pair of extremely large wooden doors. Two other guards mechanically opened the doors for them, and her soldier pushed into a large foyer. Above them, hung an enormous metal chandelier with melted candle wax dripping from it in frozen rivulets. The eye-patched guard nudged Elise behind him, blocking her from the king's view.

He bowed slightly in front of a magnificent, bejeweled throne and said, "Your Majesty, I have a _peasant_ here who wishes to have a word with you. We caught her stealing oranges at the market."

King Caspian did not look up from the scroll he was reading. "You know how to deal with that," he said, shooing him away. "Those matters are not my concerns."

"It's not about the oranges, Your Majesty. She says something about a plan to harm you."

At this, the king's eyes snapped up from the document. "Show her to me," he ordered, motioning for the soldier to move aside. He obeyed, giving Elise the opportunity to lay eyes on Caspian for the first time.

She was momentarily rendered speechless – he was _not_at all what she was expecting. She had envisioned him as an ominous Henry VIII type figure, and she had been horribly, horribly mistaken. This King Caspian couldn't have been more than a year or two older than she was, and he was probably the most attractive human being she had ever seen in her life. He was hardly anything short of the illustrations of King Arthur she had seen in Robbie's picture books. However, the longer she thought about it, the more she realized that he was a bit too exotic to resemble King Arthur. Perhaps his features were more akin to Paris of Troy's; he certainly did invoke the image of some mythical Greek or Trojan royal.

"Explain yourself," he commanded authoritatively.

"I – I," she stuttered, "I have a confession to make. I'm not from here – Narnia that is. I come from the world of the Kings and Queens of Old."

Her soldier slapped her hard across the face. "How dare you speak of such things? Blasphemy!"

Her cheek burned and tears of pain welled in her eyes, but she did not let them fall. Crying would make a horrible first impression, and she was tougher than that. She was not some weepy maiden.

"Vincenzo!" King Caspian warned dangerously, "That is quite enough! Unhand her immediately."

Vincenzo, as his name had revealed itself to be, took a step backwards.

Caspian strode down from his throne and began to scrutinize Elise. "Do you realize the gravity of your assertion?" he demanded, circling her.

She nodded mutely, trying to gain control over the burst of stars behind her eyes that the blow had inflicted.

"What is your name?"

"E-Elise. Elise d'Orsay." Her stammer betrayed her trepidation, and Caspian didn't fail to pick up on it.

"Why do you fear me? If you are not of this world, then you know not of my power," he reasoned suspiciously.

In all honestly, fear was only a minor component in Elise's state of disarray. But she couldn't say that. No, so instead she said, "I have been warned of Your Highness' strength."

"By whom?"

"You wouldn't know him." She realized after she'd said it that her response had sounded a bit too harsh, so she tried to rectify it by adding, "He's a Narnian."

"Try me."

"Conwick Lapitt. He's a rabbit."

"It appears you are right, I do not know him. This is looking very bad for you, you know?" he said, voice rasping.

She looked into his eyes; "I'm telling the truth," she squeaked in a pitch that was unfamiliar to her own ears.

"On the other hand," he began in an entirely different tone, circling her once again, "you do not look like a Telmarine. Or a Narnian. Men," he boomed, "leave us for a moment."

The numerous soldiers and advisors begrudgingly began to filter out of the room.

"But Caspian," an elderly man protested.

"Not now, Cornelius," he snapped.

Once they were all gone, he gently took her hand in his, sending a tingle all the way up her arm. He led her to the step in front of his throne and instructed, "Please, sit."

She did so immediately, and he sat beside her.

"How is your face?" he inquired in a surprisingly kind tone.

Her crystal blue eyes examined his dark ones cagily. "I'll survive," was her dry response.

"Please, let me know if there is anything I can do to make amends. Would you feel better if I were to dismiss him from the Guard?"

Elise blanched at him, her mouth agape in bewilderment. Why was he being so nice to her all of a sudden? Was this a test?

"No," she started tentatively, "he was just doing his job, I guess. His enthusiasm probably comes in handy in some cases."

He mulled her words over for a brief moment, before replying, "Alright, if you are sure. Now, we must get down to business. You have made some very lofty claims, and I need you to explain yourself. Tell me, Miss d'Orsay, about where you come from."

And so, she did. She explained everything – the oranges, her plan. And she told him about the automobiles, telephones, and radios from back home. She talked about her family too, and how she'd landed in a lake without any idea as to what had happened.

"That is very strange," he agreed finally, when she had finished her account. "You describe you world just as Peter and Susan had."

Elise's eyes lit up – he believed her!

"But there is one thing that is troubling me…"

Her spirits sank just as quickly as they had risen.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"…Eighteen?" she answered, not understanding the significance of the question.

"I thought so," he said pensively. "You're too old to be here."

"I'm sorry?"

"The Pevensies had to leave once they'd reached your age – leave Narnia forever. Aslan said they were too old. How is it, then, that you're here?"

"I was hoping _you_ could tell _me_ that," she said, crestfallen; he seemed to be just as perplexed as she was, which wasn't encouraging.

They were silent for a moment, each consumed by their own thoughts. Eventually, he said, "Well, you were right to come to me. I do not know of anyone else who would have been able to assist you. And your idea sounded very clever, too. I wish I could have seen you steal the oranges, I'm sure it was quite the site." He flashed her a charming grin and a wink, and Elise could only smile bashfully in response. He was much less intimidating when he laughed, she decided, but his blinding good looks were still a bit jarring.

"I will have someone arrange quarters for you and we'll get started on this tomorrow. Today, I have other matters to attend to."

"Wait – you're going to help me?" she questioned in disbelief.

"Of course, how could I not? I am now very curious about this myself."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, Your Highness!"

Caspian snickered. "You don't have to call me that, you know. I mean, feel free to, if you so wish, but I find such grandiose titles a bit too pretentious, don't you think?"

"Um, okay, thanks, Caspian," she said, flustered.

"'Sir' will do just fine," he corrected grimly.

Elise's expression more than conveyed her dismay. She opened her mouth to sputter out an apology, but he cut her off.

"Relax, I am only joking!" he exclaimed, laughing at her distress. "I shall see you tomorrow, Miss Elise."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

When Elise exited the foyer, she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. Caspian had said that he would help her tomorrow, which left her with hours to kill in the meantime.

"Miss," a young, uniformed woman said to her, "Miss, pardon me, but are you Elise d'Orsay?"

"Yes, can I help you?"

"King Caspian's orders are for me to show you to your chambers. Follow me, please."

She led Elise up two flights of stairs, to a long hallway with beautiful redwood flooring. Towards the end of the corridor, she stopped in front of a pair of French doors with brass handles. She expertly pushed them open and stepped inside, revealing an enormous bedroom with a high ceilings and a window that took up almost a third of the outer wall. The bed was a gorgeous antique canopy piece, and the other articles of furniture in the room included an armoire, a writing desk, and a vanity, all made of the same rich mahogany.

"You'll find that there are toiletries in the adjacent washroom and dresses in the wardrobe," she said, eyeing Elise's outfit disparagingly. "My name is Ophelia, if you need any other help. Oh yes, I almost forgot – I've been informed that King Caspian has given you permission to roam the grounds, if you wish."

"Thank you," she said sweetly. "Is there a library in the palace?"

Ophelia gave her a look that said, _"Of course there is, you twit_," but instead replied, "Yes, just downstairs to the right. I hope you'll find our collection adequate." She stared at her for a moment longer, before suggesting, "Would you like me to draw you a bath?"

"Oh yes, that would be wonderful!" Elise had completely forgotten to consider the fact that they might not have running water. Which meant, most likely, that they didn't have electricity, either. That was a bit of an inconvenience…

When Ophelia was finished filling the tub, Elise thanked her and happily peeled off her soiled dress and stockings. After a long and well-deserved bath, she emerged feeling completely rejuvenated. She walked into her bedroom and opened the doors of the armoire; inside, were dresses of myriad colors and styles. For what seemed like the millionth time of the day, she was filled with questions: where did they come from? Were they simply spares? Would they fit her?

There were undergarments in the wardrobe as well, but she didn't know quite how to work a corset. However, she supposed couldn't very well go without one, so she tried her best to lace it up properly. The result was deplorable, but luckily it would be hidden beneath whatever gown she chose to wear. She tried on a blue velvet dress first. It fit well enough, but the hem was a bit long and the bust was a bit loose. But, it would do.

Next, she went over to the vanity and tried out the various perfumes and oils. One smelled particularly good, like rosewater, and she put a dab of the liquid on her neck and wrists. She applied a facial powder as well (which only served to accentuate her pale skin) and a bit of eyeliner. She discovered a rouge-like substance, but was unsure of whether it was for her lips or cheeks. So, she dabbed it on both. She was aware – if she were to take this world at face value and compare it to what she knew of Earth's history – that wearing makeup was considered… coarse. But she was a modern woman, and she could do as she pleased. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she put on a pair of slippers and quietly padded out the door.

The library was quite easy to find; it was an enormous room, filled with many large desks, lamps, and comfortable-looking armchairs. There were several other people in the room, but they all looked as if they were content to mind their own business.

She was looking for two specific types of books: a book about the relationship between her world and Narnia and a book about Telmarine history. As she might have anticipated, there were many books regarding Telmarine history; she found one almost immediately. The second book, however, proved to be much more elusive. After digging through copious stacks of ancient scriptures and manuscripts, she finally found what she was looking for. It was not bound, making it more of a stack of yellowed parchment than anything else, and had to be at least four hundred years old (by Earth standards, at least – she had no conception of how time worked in Narnia). It only took her about an hour to read, and would have taken even less time if she hadn't had to sift through all the archaic jargon. In summary, it said this: the only known visitors from the "Land of Royals" were the Kings and Queens of Old, or, as she had come to learn, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie, and the Telmarines.

This bit of information was quite useful – according to the book on Telmarine history, the Telmarines were descendants of pirates who accidentally found a way between worlds _without_the help of Alsan. She took this to mean that it was possible for her to get home independently, which was a step in the right direction. It also said that there were enchanted portals scattered throughout Narnia and her world, but it was impossible to know what to look for. They were completely random and the only way to discover them was to stumble upon them. That didn't help her at all – it meant, basically, that the only factor she could rely on to get her home was luck, which was discouraging, to say the very least.

Suddenly, a fancifully dressed man wearing a feathered hat entered the library. "Dinner is being served in the Great Hall," he announced.

The other people in the room began to file out. Elise didn't know whether or not to join them; what, exactly, was her place in this palace? Was she a guest or a prisoner? Caspian had certainly treated her like a guest, but she was almost positive that the other inhabitants would not take so kindly to her. But, she eventually decided, what was there to lose? What Caspian said was law, and therefore his opinion was the only one that mattered. So, she joined the others in walking to the Great Hall.

And it was indeed a great hall; "great" was an understatement. There was one long table that seated, most likely, over a hundred people. She had never seen anything like it in her entire life. Where would she sit? She didn't know anyone, and everyone looked as if they knew each other. Swallowing heavily, she went to the nearest free seat (all the ones near the King were taken, naturally) and stood in front of her chair, mimicking the actions of those around her.

Eventually, Caspian, surrounded by his many guards, entered the room and took his place at the head of the table.

"You may sit," he instructed regally. His eyes scanned the crowd discreetly – Elise, who had her own eyes glued to him, might have been the only one to notice. Much to her shock, he locked her gaze. He then whispered something to one of the guards standing at his side, who immediately strode over to Elise.

"His Majesty has requested you presence beside him," the man said quietly, so as to not draw attention to them. However, he failed, and there was an awkward lull while she left her seat and walked halfway across the room to the end of the table.

"I see that you have become acquainted with your quarters," he commented appreciatively once she was seated and the deafening chatter had resumed. "I must say, these garments suit you much better."

The blood rushed to her face and she sheepishly murmured, "Thank you. And thank you for the lovely bedroom, as well. But I have one question – why did you have all that stuff just laying around?"

"At the present moment," he started ambiguously, "there are many females of your general stature staying in the castle."

She had no idea what that meant, but it didn't seem like he wanted to elaborate on the subject.

"So, I trust you have spent your day wisely?"

"I went to the library," she said.

"Find anything interesting?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I think perhaps we ought to discuss it tomorrow instead," she replied, looking around warily.

"You're right," he said amiably, "supper is a time of enjoyment, not business."

With that, he went on to talk to his other neighbors, including the elderly man (Cornelius, if she remembered correctly) that she'd seen earlier.

The head of the table gave Elise a much better viewpoint of the company. She quickly realized what Caspian had been talking about – there _were_ many young women seated around the table, all eyeing her distrustfully. There were a few young men as well, but the majority of the males were aged and battle-hardened. Her yes flitted to her left, back to Caspian. He looked, she thought, much more like a prince than a king. Or a knight, perhaps. In any case, as she had already decided, he looked like a sort of hero out of a fairytale. He may not have been too young, exactly, but he still had a distinctive boyish aura about him – something that made him seem too young to be king.

"Miss," someone said, dragging her back to her thoughts, "you ought not stare."

Elise's head turned sharply, only to come face-to-face with a kind-looking elderly woman. She hadn't noticed her before, probably for obvious reasons.

"It's all right, my dear," she whispered conspiratorially, "you're forgiven – he is quite handsome, isn't he?"

Elise's cheeks heated up instantly.

"I'm sorry," she continued, "but I don't think we've met. I'm Aurelia, Cornelius' wife." She motioned to the man that Caspian was talking to.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Elise d'Orsay."

"You're not from here, are you, Elise?"

"What gave me away?"

"You look a tad out of place – and your clothes don't fit, either."

"Yes, well, I'm in a bit of a predicament at the moment. I've come to the King for assistance."

"I can see that," she said sagaciously. "Well, if you ever need anyone to show you around the palace – or Telmar, even – I'd be happy give you a tour. What with my granddaughters all married off, I get a bit desperate for female company."

"That would be lovely! If I ever have any free time, which I expect I will, I'll be sure to give you a call." Oh. Right. There was no "calling" here…

Just then, the first course was brought out. It was some sort of porridge-like concoction, but it appeared to have vegetables in it. There was also bread on the side. And there was wine – lots and lots of red wine. The stew-porridge did not look very appetizing, so Elise settled on the consumption of red wine and bread to ease her hunger. This, perhaps, was not a wise decision, as her chalice was replenished nearly every ten minutes.

Caspian noticed that she wasn't exactly enjoying the meal and whispered, "It's really not as bad as it looks… And judging by the amount of wine you've already had, I imagine the taste will be somewhat numbed."

Humoring him, Elise took a bite. She instantly regretted it, and it showed in her face.

"Perhaps a you ought to have a bit more to drink, then," he quipped in wry amusement.

"You haven't had anything to drink at all," she pointed out giddily.

He wagged a finger at her. "I never drink the wine," he said, "Too easy for someone to slip something into it."

Her eyes widened slightly – was he really _that_ at risk for assassination?

"Plus," he added, "intoxication makes even the noblest men into fools, and I do not wish to be made a mockery of in front of my court."

The next course came out – it was some sort of enormous roasted bird.

"What _is_ that?" she muttered more to herself than to anyone in particular.

"A roc. It is one of the largest birds in Narnia– very rare and very difficult to capture. This one was only a small female," Aurelia said.

The roast took four people to carry out, and the animal itself had to be at least the size of a horse – how could such a creature exist?

"Being the great brutes we are, we eat it more for a show of strength than for the taste, as I'm sure you'll soon find," Caspian whispered to her bitterly.

She was very puzzled. "That doesn't seem right," she protested, "Why don't you tell them that you don't want it?"

"Being the King doesn't mean what you might think it does," he replied cryptically. "Half of everything done here is just for show."

"Couldn't you change that if you wanted to?"

"If only it were so simple. This kingdom is hindered by tradition. Do you see the men at the other end of the room? They're all quite powerful aristocrats. The trick is to keep them pitted against each other so that they're distracted them from turning on me. Politics is a bit of a dodgy business – I really wouldn't wish this responsibility on anyone."

There was a lull in the conversation, before Elise built up the courage to ask, "Why are you telling me all this?"

He turned to her once again and shrugged. "As a warning, perhaps. The people here often aren't what they seem – you'd do well not to trust anyone in this palace. Cornelius and Aurelia are my closest confidents, but I'd be wary of the others, if I were you."

"Why would anyone care about me?"

He broke eye contact once again. "You're foreign and you'll be spending more time with me than many of them. I imagine some people might take that as a threat to their stature or prospects," he said vaguely.

By the end of the night, Elise couldn't help but return to her room feeling sufficiently worried.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this one doesn't really have a lot of dialogue... Pleaseee review!**

**Oh yes, and BrinleyofIreland (I can't PM you, so I hope you don't mind if I do this instead), Caspian X is supposed to be read as Caspian the tenth, I think - as in like Henry VIII. And yes, this story is eventually going to be Caspian/Elise. But I'm glad you like it so far and thanks for the review! :)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

Elise awoke early the next day to prepare for her meeting with Caspian.

Now, she had always taken pains when getting ready in the morning, and those who knew her might say that she was a bit of a perfectionist. That said, however, the effort she was putting into making herself look presentable this particular morning was nothing short of ridiculous. It was obvious – even to her – that she had taken a bit of a fancy to the dashing young Telmarine king. Perhaps understandably, she wanted to ensure that she was at the top of her game.

And, in the end, anyone who saw her would have to admit that her toils had paid off.

As she was about to leave her room, she heard the clank of boots echoing down the hall. She paused in an attempt to figure out who it was and why they were there.

"Sir, you really shouldn't be wasting your time with this – there are other matters at hand," a man protested.

"Artemis, I know you don't think so, but this is _infinitely_ more important than me finding a queen." Even though his voice was muffled, Elise could tell that it was Caspian speaking.

"But the public is growing restless – they take you unwillingness to commit to a woman as an unwillingness to commit to the country."

"That makes no sense," he sneered bluntly.

"Perhaps not, but that is how they think… And your enemies – they will portray it as a weakness. Almost all the men of age in the court are married… _And_they're older and more experienced than you are. You need to prove that you are not a child."

They had stopped walking, now, and were now whispering frantically in front of her door.

"Have I not already done that?" Caspian hissed, his tone venomous. "I defeated my uncle, the _King_, years ago when I was nearly still a boy. What more do they want? Don't answer that," he added as an afterthought.

Before Artemis could respond, Caspian rapped harshly on the door. Elise waited a moment, trying to disguise the fact that she had heard their argument, before revealing herself.

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you," she lied.

"Yes, well, I remembered that I never told you where we should meet. I decided that I should just come get you myself. Artemis, you may leave us now."

Once the other man was gone, he said, "You heard that entire thing, didn't you?"

Elise didn't know what to say, so she remained silent.

"You're very transparent."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it – I didn't mean to…" she blurted out.

"It's all right," he interjected. "I probably would have done the same thing. So, I guess you've figured out why there are so many women in the castle, then. They're trying to find me a suitable mate," he spat distastefully. "Of course," he continued sardonically, "there's no one I would actually be interested in, mind you. They're all daughters of men hoping to get a bit of power. It's disgusting, actually; the thought of anyone selling their own kin for a shred of authority is repulsive."

"I'm sorry," Elise said awkwardly.

"It's fine," he said, shaking the thoughts out of his head, "It doesn't matter. I'm not a puppet. Plus, I have a feeling that Artemis may be exaggerating the extent to which the citizens care about the whole thing – he has a daughter that he's been pestering me to meet for ages. I think it's safe to say that he has ulterior motives."

"I would agree," she said delicately.

"But enough of this useless chatter. Let's go," he said motioning for her to follow him.

He brought her to an enormous study with a domed roof and a skylight in the center; it looked remarkably like images of the Pantheon she had seen in her textbooks when she was still in school. Shelves of books lined the walls, and the ceiling was a mosaic made to resemble the constellations.

"What is this place?" she asked, staring up in awe.

"The royal office."

"It's beautiful."

"Yes," he said unenthusiastically. "Now, I've told Cornelius about your predicament and he had a bit of advice. But first, what was it that you were going to tell me yesterday?"

She snapped her gaze down to meet his and said, "I read a book about Telmarine history – your ancestors were pirates? From my world?"

"According to legend, yes."

"Well, I mean, they stumbled upon a portal without Aslan's help, so maybe I can too."

Caspian didn't look convinced. "Think for a moment – Narnia is ancient. And in all that time, only once was there a natural interaction between the two worlds. What do you think the odds are of you being able replicate my ancestors' mistake?"

"Well, it seems to be the only chance I've got…" she began dejectedly.

"That's where Cornelius' idea comes in," he began animatedly. "There are two supreme beings in this world: Aslan – the main one – and a being known only as the 'Red Sorcerer.' Luckily for you, the Sorcerer doesn't seem to be quite as elusive as Aslan."

"What do you mean?"

"Aslan is everywhere and nowhere at the same time – it's impossible to find him unless he wants to be found. The Sorcerer stays in one place, and one place only."

"And where is that?"

"Narnia is flat," he stated as a preamble.

Elise scrunched her nose up in disapproval.

Caspian laughed brightly and said, "The Pevensies did not believe me either, but I assure you, it is. It's been proven. And therefore, it has two ends. At one end, is Aslan's country. At the other, dwells the Red Sorcerer."

"And you think he can help me?"

"It is said that his power is not as great as Aslan's, but it is close. Closer than anything else in this world. I think that there's a good chance he might be able to get you home."

"Really? How do I get to him? When can I leave?"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down. I don't think you understand the severity of this situation. You can't even imagine the types of dangers that you'll have to face on you way there. _I_don't even know what lies in store. The area west of Cauldron Pool is uncharted."

"If it's uncharted, then how do you know it's dangerous?"

"It's not uncharted because people haven't tried to map it, let's just say."

Elise sighed deeply. "Fine, but that doesn't change anything. I still have to get to him, don't you understand? I have to get home – I have to get back to my family. What would you do if you were in my situation?"

He was quiet for a moment, and Elise could tell by the look on his face that she had struck a nerve.

"I have no family," he muttered finally.

"Oh," she squeaked, horrified with herself. She should have known – it would have been obvious, if he did. "I'm so sorry, I didn't – "

"You didn't know. I understand. My uncle killed my parents in order to become King. I was too young to remember it – I had no idea that my uncle was a murderer," he laughed darkly, reminiscing. "He tried to kill me, too, after his son was born. But, after a long time of fighting, he was killed and his family was banished back to your world. I am alone here – the Pevensies were the closest thing I had to siblings, but now they're gone too."

His voice was more bitter than sad, but he was clearly haunted by the memories of those he had lost.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, "I do know what it means to lose someone close to you, though…." She didn't quite know what to do, so she awkwardly put her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "It's just – I have my brother, Robbie. He's so young, and – and he needs me. My mother, after my father was killed, she's not the same. She can't take care of him like she's supposed to. I don't – I don't want him to feel like I've abandoned him too," she rambled.

"You love him very much," he commented gravely.

"Yes, yes I do. More than anything else."

Caspian nodded sharply. "Then we must get you back to him."

"Thank you," she said sincerely, "So where do I start? When can I leave?"

"I think you mean 'we,' and we're not leaving so soon – you're not prepared at all."

"We?"

"I can't let you go alone," he said, sticking out his chin nobly, "I gave you my word that I would help you, and that's what I'm going to do."

"You can't just leave your kingdom," she said incredulously.

"Why not? I've done it before, and this is exactly the sort of thing the people love to hear about. You should have seen them after my last adventure. I'm due for another one, anyway. Things were getting awfully boring."

"Who's going to keep things under control?"

"Cornelius, of course. He's the smartest one here, and I know I can trust him. It will be fine."

"Alright, then what do _we_need to do to prepare?"

"_You_need to learn to defend yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"You know, sword fight and the like. You need to know how to use a weapon, of course. You don't honestly think you can go into this without any training whatsoever?"

"I didn't really think about it like that…"

"Yes, well, you need to learn how to fight, first. I can teach you – I'm an excellent swordsman."

_So humble_, Elise thought.

"Okay, when?"

"We can meet back here tomorrow at eleven. You might want to wear something a little less fancy," he said, smirking.

"There wasn't anything else," she protested guiltily. "Perhaps I'll go into town today and pick up some things I might need."

"That is a wise idea." He paused for a moment, before his face conveyed some sort of realization. "Oh – you don't have any money, do you? Here," he said, giving her a pouch of coins from on his desk, "take this. We couldn't want you to get arrested for stealing again, would we?"

"I can't take your money…"

"Why not? I assure you, I'm not going to run out anytime soon. Just think of it as a welcoming present."

"That's very kind of you, thank you." He truly had been nothing but kind to her. So kind, in fact, that Elise was beginning to become a little suspicious. She knew she shouldn't be, that he was only a product of his upbringing, but no one back home would have displayed the same behavior unless they wanted something. Why hadn't chivalry stayed alive in her world?

"Shall I see you at dinner again tonight?"

She bit her lip – she hadn't really enjoyed herself the last time. "I don't really do well with crowds…" she started.

"I see," he said, eyes dancing in amusement at her poor attempt to excuse herself. "Until tomorrow, then?"

"Until tomorrow," she confirmed.

On her way back to her room, she ran into Ophelia, the maid from the previous day. Elise stopped her and said, "Hello again, I was just wondering – do you know where I might find Aurelia? Cornelius' wife?"

Ophelia gave her a wary look, but replied, "Yes, she and her husband have the entire top floor of this wing to themselves.

"Thank you," Elise said brightly. She made her way to a winding spiral staircase and looked straight up; there were certainly many floors. Many more floors than she wanted to climb. Unfortunately, however, there were no lifts, so, she was forced to trek upwards for nearly five minutes. By the end of the hike, the muscles in her legs were throbbing painfully – but she figured this was good exercise for her upcoming voyage.

At the top of the stairs, there was only a narrow bit of standing ground and an ovular wooden door with a brass, lion-shaped doorknocker. She tapped the metal together briskly and, after a few seconds, Aurelia opened the door.

"Hello, dear, what can I help you with?"

"I was wondering if you would be able to show me the market? If it's not too much trouble, that is. I'd like to buy some new clothes. Casp – " she stopped herself, "_King_ Caspian gave me some money."

"Of course, I'd be happy to help you," Aurelia said kindly. "Just a moment."

She grabbed a shawl and a small pocketbook from a hook near the door and left the room. "Let's go, shall we?"


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

The next day, Elise arrived at Caspian's "office" dressed far more appropriately than before. She was still wearing a dress, true enough, but it was made of a tawny, breathable material that was easy to move around in. Her thick locks were pinned back in a loose plait that hit the middle of her back and secured with a purple ribbon.

"I see you put the money to good use," Caspian commented amusedly upon opening the door.

"You like it?" she asked daintily, the skirt fluttering our around her as she twirled in a circle.

"Sure," he was his curt reply. She could tell that he wasn't exactly interested in women's fashion. He turned around abruptly and began fishing for something in one of the drawers of a large cabinet. Then, he spun back around on his heel and tossed something to her. "Catch," he instructed.

Startled, Elise barely managed to avoid dropping the heavy item that he had thrown at her; it was a wooden sword. He took out one for himself as well.

"We're really going to – you're really going to teach me how to – _right now_?" she stuttered, failing to string together a coherent sentence.

"You want to leave as soon as possible, do you not? That means we should start straight away."

"Yeah, but… Okay, I guess you're right"

"Of course I am. Now, watch the way I stand," he instructed. His feet were apart, and his body was angled so that his right side was facing her. She mirrored his stance and clutched the hilt of the sword tightly.

"Relax," he told her, "your grip is much too tight. Don't worry – this is just practice. Alright, now I am going to attack you. I'm going to strike vertically, so hold your sword horizontally and prepare to block the blow."

She lifted her elbow and did as she was told. Caspian lunged forward and hit her outstretched sword.

"Good," he said, "Remember to try to keep you muscles fairly relaxed – that way, you won't get tired as quickly. Now, if I were to try to strike you horizontally instead, you would hold your sword vertically. Understand?"

Elise nodded in affirmation.

"Let's try a few in a row." He came at her in a slow sequence of light blows, all of which she was able to block.

"Excellent. Now, for your footwork. Footwork is arguably the most important aspect of sword fighting. It's almost like dancing – do you know how to dance?"

"No, probably not the way you lot dance," she snorted lightly.

"Well regardless, watch how my feet move and try to move your own in accordance."

They quickly found that Elise was much better at the footwork part of fencing than she was at the actual contact side of it. She was able to easily dodge blows, but when she tried to attack or block her form was lacking.

"You're very graceful, I'll give you that," he said after watching her evade a series of his attacks. "But you fight like a girl."

She put her hand to her heart in mock-offense and said, "Imagine that!" earning a jovial bark of laughter from Caspian.

After about two hours of practice, they decided she'd done enough for the day.

"Not bad for a beginner, huh?" she asked, thoroughly impressed with her own efforts.

"You need a lot more work, but it's coming along… Now, time for archery."

"What? I thought we were finished!"

"We are – with fencing. Now, it's time to practice archery. I think you might like this better – members of the feminine variety tend to favor this method of attack."

However, Caspian was utterly wrong; she did not like it at all. She found it extremely difficult and was discouraged after only fifteen minutes.

"I hate this," she mumbled darkly.

"What was that?"

"I hate this," she repeated loudly.

He laughed – he _laughed_at her discomfort. "It's all technique," he said. "You'll get better in no time. Here – " he strode over to her, lifted her elbow, and adjusted her position. It struck her then how tall he was; or, at least, how much taller than her he was. "Like this," he said, putting his hand over hers and pulling the arrow back. "Let go," he told her. The arrow whizzed through the air and landed slightly to the right of the bull's-eye. "See? Not so bad. Try doing it on your own."

Once Elise got over the initial nervousness that his close proximity had elicited, she was able to follow his instructions. The arrow wedged itself far from the bull's-eye, but it was a definite improvement from before.

"See?"

"Yeah," she scoffed sarcastically, "I'm a real natural."

He grinned at her and said, "Try it again. If you just practice, you'll get better. I promise."

She tried again. This time, the arrow landed too far to the right.

Elise sighed deeply. "I'm bored of this," she complained. "Can't you just protect me? Aren't you supposed to be some sort of gallant warrior? And an excellent swordsman, by your own account?"

"Do you really trust me with your life?" he teased.

"Good point…"

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, before she asked, "Are we going alone?"

He thought for a moment. "I think that would be best," he said finally, "The less people who know about this, the better."

"Why is that? Surely it would be wise to have at least _some_ help."

"If word of this little endeavor spreads throughout the kingdom, I'm sure that there will be more than a few people who will try to stand in our way. Plus, away from Telmar, I'll be vulnerable, which gives them all the more reason for them to attack."

"What are we going to need? A boat or something?"

He shook his head. "The west end of Narnia is landlocked. All we'll need to leave with is a couple of horses and a few days' supplies. The rest we can pick up as we go."

There was a pause in the conversation, before Elise sheepishly said, "Caspian, I, uh, I can't ride a horse… I mean, I've never tried before…"

"Never?" he asked obvious in disbelief.

"No," she said embarrassedly.

"Well, then, I'll teach you that tomorrow. It's pretty easy, really. The galloping and jumping is a bit tricky, but most of it should come naturally."

"Alright, well, I'll be going then. You probably have a million other things to do – I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time."

He snorted in a rather un-kingly manner. "Please, don't be sorry. I hardly ever get to spend time with people my own age. It's a nice change."

"There are always those girls…" she suggested impishly.

"Vapid. All of them," he stated bluntly.

That seemed a little severe…"I thought you'd said you'd hadn't met any of them," she said skeptically.

"I don't need to meet them," he said, staring off into the distance. He looked as if he was remembering something pleasant, but, given the topic, Elise found it hard to imagine what he could be thinking of.

"Alright," she began, eyeing him strangely, "See you tomorrow, then."

"Good bye," he said distractedly.

As Elise re-entered the palace from the courtyard, she nearly ran over a girl walking in the opposite direction.

"Watch where you're going, street rat," she snapped.

Elise's temper flared. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"And who are you?"

The girl shook out her pretty brown ringlets self-importantly. She looked a bit younger than Elise, perhaps sixteen or so. "I'm Seraphina, Artemis' daughter."

She resisted the urge to laugh in her face. "Can't say I've heard of him," she lied impetuously.

The girl's haughty smirk faltered. "He's the King's chief advisor! Do you know what that means? Pretty soon I will be your _queen_. It's all but announced."

This time, Elise failed to withhold a cascade of laughter. "First of all, the King's chief advisor is Cornelius. And if I know that, everybody must know it. And congratulations! I had no idea you were set to marry the King! You might want to go inform him, though; I was just speaking with him and he didn't seem to realize that he was engaged."

Instead of waiting for Seraphina to respond, Elise waved to her pompously and continued on her merry way. As she was still in earshot, she heard her yell at Ophelia, who had been passing by, "What do you think _you're_smirking at? The laundry needs to be done, get out of here!"

Ah, Elise mused, the faults of girls in her own age bracket seemed to transcend even worldly boundaries… Perhaps Caspian had been on to something in avoiding them all together.

_(The next day…)_

At ten the next morning, Ophelia let herself into Elise's room.

"Get up!" she said, shaking her lightly, "You're going to be late for your lesson."

She shot out of bed and gave the other girl a strange look. "Thanks," she said skeptically, "Did I miss something?"

"No, but you're about to! Your lesson with King Caspian is starting soon."

"I thought you hated me," she said bluntly. "And how did you know about that?"

Ophelia smiled kindly. "I hope it's not too bold to say, but I overheard you talking to Miss Seraphina the other day. And about the lessons – everyone knows."

Elise was taken aback; "Really? And you heard what I said to that girl?"

"Yes, and I must say, I was surprised. When you first came here, I thought you would be just like her and all the others living here. But you're not – I can see now why King Caspian has taken a liking to you. Which is why," she continued, "I think I should advise you to be careful. I truly hate to be the one to tell you this, but you're not very well liked in this castle. Not by anyone, really. The men don't like you because you're stealing the King's attention from their daughters, and the daughters don't like you for the same reason."

"I –" Elise's mouth was moving, but no sound was coming out. "Thanks," she eventually managed to say.

She smiled again. "No problem. And watch the younger men. I won't repeat what they say about you, but make sure you're never alone with any of them. Usually they're harmless, but you don't want to take any chances. But I'll leave you to get dressed now. Good day."

"See you later, Ophelia…. Thanks again," she said slowly.

Elise stood in shock. She had no idea that people in the palace even knew she existed, let alone had opinions of her. It was rather unsettling, especially since she hardly knew anyone at all…

When she entered Caspian's office he was sitting at his desk, writing something.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Preparing a checklist for Cornelius for when I'm gone – he knows what to do, but sometimes he can be a little forgetful – age, and all that."

"I had quite an interesting talk with Ophelia this morning."

"Ophelia?"

"The maid. The maids know everything, did you know that? It's a bit unnerving."

He raised a dark eyebrow. "What did she say?"

"Oh nothing really – just that everyone in the palace hates me."

He was silent. He didn't seem surprised.

"You already knew this?" she demanded disbelievingly.

"Well, what did you expect?" he burst out finally, "You show up from the land of the Kings and Queens of Old completely unexpectedly at the same time the kingdom is obsessing over their lack of a female sovereign. You're young, good-looking, et cetera. Can't you see why they might be a little peeved?"

"When you put it that way… But don't they know that I just want to go home?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea what they think. All I know is, it doesn't really matter. You're not in any _real_ danger, and you'll be out of here as soon as you're finished with your training. I didn't mention it to you because it's not exactly a large concern."

"That's not all she said, though."

"What else did she say?" he asked, humoring her; he seemed rather bored.

"She said that I should stay away from the young men in the palace."

This seemed to be news to him. "And why is that?"

Elise shook her head. "She didn't tell me, exactly. She said she didn't want to repeat it – but I think you can venture a guess as to what she was referring to…"

"Oh…" he said, clearing his throat. "Well, I can assure you that I didn't hear anything about _that_, and if I did, I would surely – "

She smiled slightly at his awkward change in demeanor. Clearly in this world, this was a subject that was to be treaded upon lightly. "It's alright," she interrupted, "I haven't had any negative experiences, this is just what she told me."

There was a very heavy and uncomfortable silence that infiltrated every corner of the room. Eventually, Caspian broke the static and said, "Well, let's get going to the stables, shall we?" in an eager attempt to make the atmosphere normal again.

Elise nodded and wordlessly followed him out of the room.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI**

The stables were near the outer walls of the town, providing a convenient transportation outpost; that said, however, they were a fairly long trek from the castle. The building itself was rustic and small, built from stone and covered in bright green ivy. Caspian disappeared inside, leaving Elise to wait for him with her arms crossed awkwardly over her chest. There was no one else around, which was a big departure from the norm – usually, there were people everywhere. He emerged leading two horses, one black and one white. The white one was a bit smaller, so she assumed it was for her.

"I can't believe you've never ridden before," he mumbled, shaking his head.

"What can I say, I grew up in the city," she said proudly. "Which one is for me?"

"The white one."

"She's lovely," she noted.

"I thought you'd like her," he replied, grinning in satisfaction.

"What's her name?"

Caspian shrugged. "How should I know? I suppose you could name her, if you like."

"Hmm. I think I'll call her Xanthus."

"Xanthus?" he asked. Judging by the names of the people she had met so far, Elise was surprised that he didn't know what she was referring to.

"It's the name of one of Achilles' horses – you have no idea what I'm talking about, do you? I suppose you don't have the Iliad here… Pity, I think you'd like it."

"I have heard the name Achilles before, but what is the Iliad?" he questioned, brows knitting together in confusion.

"It's an ancient book from my world. It's very famous. Anyway what's yours' name then, if you're so clever?"

"Rex," he said simply.

"How creative," she teased, rolling her eyes. "You do know that that means 'king' in Latin?"

"What is Latin? No – for your information, I didn't name him, Lucy did."

"Wow, Telmar is seriously lacking some important culture. I'll try to teach you a bit, if we ever have time."

"Alright, I look forward to it," he said with a smile. "In any case, I've already prepared the saddle and everything, so you needn't worry about that. Just grab either end of the saddle, put your left foot through one of the stirrups, and swing your other leg over."

"Okay," she said nervously. She was having a bit of trouble – the horse was very tall.

"Here," he said, giving her a boost up.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, don't mention it. Now you're all set." He then easily mounted his own horse, before noticing that Elise was smirking at him. "What?" he asked.

"You said 'yeah.' You've got to be careful – it seems like you're picking up my improper English."

"The Pevensies used to say it all the time, too – it must be quite the popular word in your world."

"Indeed... It's kind of just an automatic response… Now what do I do?"

"Take the reins in either hand and try to steer the horse. Dig your heels into her sides to get her to go, and pull both the reins back to get her to stop."

Elise did as she was told, and in no time she was prancing about easily.

"Good," Caspian said, riding alongside her, "Now, try galloping. As she runs, move your body up and down to minimize the impact – if you don't I guarantee you'll be sore tomorrow."

Again, she did as she was told; it took a toll on her leg muscles, but she got the hang of it fairly quickly.

"Very nice. Now, follow me." He rode through one of the more secluded city gates, and the guards saluted him as he passed. He then began weaving in and out of the trees, until they reached a clearing. At this point, he dismounted Rex and tied him to a tree. Elise _attempted_ to follow suit, but she needed Caspian's help in getting off Xanthus.

"Look what I brought," he said, taking two wooden swords out from a burlap pouch tied to Rex's saddle.

"Great," she said unenthusiastically. "Why did we have to come all the way out here?"

"So you could practice your riding. _And_ so I could make your swordplay training more realistic. Odds are if you have to fight, it will be in the wilderness."

"Alright," she said, catching the weapon. For some reason, Elise was feeling particularly inspired. Perhaps it was because Caspian inadvertently had called her good-looking that morning (even the casual mention of such a thing had absolutely no chance of slipping through her notice). That alone was enough to cause her spirits to soar. Whatever the reason, she was motivated to do a good job.

"Let's go," she said eagerly.

"Okay," he replied, his features falling into an expression of amusement.

She lunged at him abruptly, but he blocked her attack with ease. Then, it was his turn to attack; she was able to defend herself with relative finesse. She came at him again quickly. Although he avoided her blows, he seemed to be more challenged then before.

"What's gotten into you?" he joked whilst sidestepping her attack.

"Dunno. I guess I just want to get better already."

"It's only been a day," he reasoned, crossing "blades" with her once again.

"Yeah, but I like to be good at what I do."

"Ah, a man – uh woman, I mean – after my own heart."

Elise glared at him and continued swinging.

And then something odd happened.

She hit him. In the shoulder.

He tumbled over out of surprise.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, clutching her hand over her mouth. She knelt beside him. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he laughed, rubbing his arm, "Just wasn't expecting it."

"Oh my God, I can't believe – I'm so sorry!" she repeated, gingerly touching the injured area.

"I'm _fine_," he assured her. "That was good. It's amazing what people can do when they put their minds to it."

"Yeah. Are you _sure_you're all right? I feel awful." She was fussing with her hands anxiously, so Caspian sat up fully and stopped her. She flinched slightly at the physical contact.

"It's fine. _I'm_ fine, really. I've been through much worse, believe me."

She stood quickly and offered him her hand. He shot her a skeptical look, as if to mock her for thinking she could lift him.

"Just trying to help…" she mumbled.

"Let's go again," he said, dusting himself off.

Elise grinned at him and tightened her grip on her sword, readying herself for his attack.

They sparred for another hour, until she was sufficiently tired.

"Have you got any food?" she asked as they sat down to take a break. She realized that her question wasn't exactly the most ladylike thing to ask, but her insides were rumbling with hunger.

Caspian seemed to notice the gauche nature of her inquiry too, and smirked at her. "All I have is some bread," he answered. He grabbed it out of the saddlebag and tossed her a roll.

"Thanks." She took a bite; it was a bit stale, but beggars can't be choosers, as they say. He followed her example and they ate in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

"It won't be long now," he said abruptly.

"Sorry?"

"We'll be able to leave pretty soon. Maybe a week or so."

"Really? But I have so much left to learn."

"Yes, but you can't _really_ expect to be any good in such a short period of time. It takes years to master what I've begun to teach you. I just wanted you to know the basics. Plus, you'll learn as we go."

"Alright," she said skeptically.

"Don't worry. This is all just precautionary – it's not as if we're going into battle or anything. Honestly, I don't know what lies ahead on this journey. It could be nothing. Or, it could be unimaginably difficult. It's best to be prepared for the worst."

"Yeah." She was clearly still tentative about the whole ordeal. He put his hand on her shoulder as a reassuring motion, but she flinched again.

"What's the matter," he asked with a chuckle, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

Suddenly, he turned serious: "You weren't – back home, no one – "

"Gosh, no! No, it's nothing like that."

"Alright," he said, narrowing his eyes. However, he soon returned to his normal self and asked, "Ready to practice your archery?"

"Yeah, let's get to it." She sprang up nimbly and brushed the grass off her skirt.

"There's a good sport," he said, grinning broadly and taking out the equipment.

This routine of horseback riding, sword fighting, and archery continued for the next four days. They were on a tight schedule, from which they hardly ever deviated. In her free time, Elise had taken to reading and drawing, as there wasn't really much else to do. Occasionally, she went to visit Aurelia or Ophelia to keep herself entertained. It was both fascinating and amusing to see how different the two women were. While Aurelia would give her words of wisdom or advice, Ophelia kept her up-to-date on all of the court gossip and had taken it upon herself to give Elise a short biography of each of the important members of the palace. It was all rather perplexing, but after a bit of explaining, Elise had developed a general idea of who everyone was.

One day, after her lesson with Caspian (which she had enjoyed immensely, despite her frustration regarding her inadequacy), Elise returned to her bedroom, as was her custom. The sun was setting in waves of orange against the sky, and a melancholy darkness was beginning to sweep the horizon. She had surmised, over the course of her stay, that they were in the midst of a season somewhat akin to summer, as it got dark fairly late. Although, she doubted that seasons cycled the same way in Narnia…

She'd "borrowed" a book, called the _Narnian Encyclopaedia_, from the library and was sitting peacefully on the plush chaise-lounge beside the window. The book, which was nothing short of colossal, was resting against the tops of her bent legs. Though she was "reading," she could hardly fool anyone – not even herself – into believing that she was actually focusing on the words in front of her. Her mind was wandering hopelessly.

Caspian was lovely – the whole lifestyle was lovely, really. But, she wanted to go home, back to her family. At eighteen, she was an adult in most senses of the word. She had responsibilities. She couldn't afford to enjoy such childish dreams of adventure and royalty. Had she been ten years younger, she wouldn't have had any reservations about living out the rest of her life in the wonderfully make-believe world of Narnia. But now, the circumstances forbade it. It should have been Robbie who stumbled upon this fairytale land, not her.

But she couldn't help what had already happened; she was stuck, and the most she could do was find a way home. She really was doing all that she could.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," she called from her seat.

The door opened: it was Ophelia, looking rather flustered.

"Hello," Elise greeted her, "Is something the matter?"

"Yes, actually," she replied, wringing her hands in anxiety. "I need to talk to you immediately."


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII**

"What is it?" Elise questioned, worry lacing every syllable. For her friend to show up at her door, unannounced, at this time of night indicated that something was indeed quite awry.

"Remember – remember a few days ago? When I said you weren't very popular? Except for with a few people?" Ophelia blurted out hastily.

"Yes…"

"Well, um, it looks as if… As if some of you more enthusiastic supporters might be paying you a visit this evening."

She raised a delicate eyebrow. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Yes, because, you see, when I say _'enthusiastic'_ I don't quite mean it in the sense that you might think…"

"I don't really follow – Oh. Oh, dear. What have you heard?"

"Well, just a moment ago, I was walking to the washing room and I overheard Octavian and Severo talking – "

"Wait, who and who?"

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that they said that they were going to come here – _tonight_. As in very soon. I heard them on there way over here, which means you have to leave _now_."

"Where can I go? Surely there are a million places for me to hide… Couldn't I just go see Caspian? I'm sure – "

" – _No_, no, no. You can't go to him. Do you have any idea what that would imply if you were found with him at this time of night? You're already disliked enough as it is! The absolute _last_ thing you need to do is make yourself the center of a scandal."

"Uh, well, I guess I could go to Aurelia…"

"Yes! Yes, go to her. That's an excellent idea. I'll walk you there to make sure you're safe, but I can't stay – I have to get back to work. Lady Delfina's twins need to be supervised."

"At this hour?"

"They're still not sleeping through the night."

"God forbid people take care of their own children…" Elise muttered darkly. Ophelia smiled sadly in response.

"Let's get going," she insisted hurriedly.

They left her room, and Elise immediately remembered why she didn't make it a habit of exploring the castle after dark; the whole thing was rather spooky. Ophelia linked arms with her and whispered, "It's probably best if you don't mention this whole thing to the King – wouldn't want him to get mad." Elise nodded in affirmation – she got the impression that Caspian could be a bit rash at times, not to mention protective. But he would only be protective of her as a matter of principle, of course. He was quite an ethical man, something that seemed to be a rare quality amongst the Telmarines.

After the girls ascended the first set of stairs, they came face-to-face with two hulking young men. Ophelia had an incredibly troubled expression on her face.

"I take it these were the people we were trying to avoid…" Elise muttered wryly. Luckily, Ophelia, who nodded wordlessly, was the only one who heard her.

"Hiya there, girls, where are you going?" one of them asked.

"Um, I, well, you see – " Elise stuttered.

"Just heading up to see Doctor Cornelius. Miss Elise has an urgent question and she didn't want to walk up alone."

"Oh now, why is that?" the other asked, talking a step towards them.

"Gets a bit creepy at night…" Elise managed. If they came any closer, she decided, she would run.

Another step.

She grabbed Ophelia's wrist and hissed, "Run."

And they did. They turned around and sprinted down the stairs so quickly that they were dizzy when they got to the next floor. Elise tried to run to her room, but Ophelia pulled her down the next flight of stairs.

"We need to get to where there are people," she urged her.

"But – In the rooms…?"

"I'm a servant. No one cares about me. And they feel the same about you," she hissed.

They heard them coming down the stairs.

"Go, go, go!"

Then, something terrible happened: one of them caught Ophelia's arm. She screamed, and Elise stood, paralyzed. "Let her go!" she yelled.

"Would you look at that, one for each of us," one of them remarked slyly.

"Go – run!" Ophelia shouted.

"Let her go," the other girl repeated, this time with more gusto. She stood her ground as one of the men began walking towards her with deliberation.

By some stroke of luck, Ophelia managed to kick her captor in the shin and was able to weasel out of his grasp. However, she was only able to run towards the opposite end of the hall, away from Elise. Before she turned the corner and made it out of sight, she screamed, "Run!" once again.

This time, Elise listened to her. She ran as though her life depended on it – which, as she considered it later, it probably did. She was close to Caspian's office – maybe he would be there. She could only hope. Even if he wasn't, she could always barricade herself in; she was only dealing with one assailant now, so her chances of fending him off were much higher. Plus, she knew for a fact that there were objects in Caspian's office that she could use as weapons.

She quickly got to the large door and tried to prevent herself from sliding past it in her haste. She wrenched it open and closed it behind her so quickly that her pursuer barely had time to see where she'd disappeared.

Caspian, thank the lord, happened to be in at that particular time.

"Sweet Aslan!" he exclaimed in surprise, dropping the book her had been holding. "What is going on?"

Elise took a moment to catch her breath, but before she had a chance to answer, the horrid man began to rattle the door she was leaning against.

Caspian's eyebrows drew together pensively and he picked up his sword. Slowly and stealthily, he tiptoed over to where she was. He motioned for her to move aside, and door shot open once her weight was removed. The tip of Caspian's blade stood directly at her attacker's neck.

"What," he growled angrily, "is the meaning of this?"

"I – I'm sorry, my King. This street urchin – she stole something from me! She stole my coin purse," he stammered.

"What?" Elise nearly shrieked. "That's – that's unbelievable! I've never heard such a blatant lie in my entire life!"

Caspian put up a finger to silence her. "Let him explain," he commanded.

"My friend – Severo – he will vouch for me. If you just let me get him – "

"That won't be necessary," Caspian interrupted. "Elise, would you empty your pockets?"

She scoffed in disbelief. "What? You – you don't believe me?"

"As your King, I must insist that you do as I have asked." Despite his words, his eyes twinkled with hidden meaning. He urged her to see past his ruse of superiority.

Nevertheless, she stuck her chin out defiantly, but nevertheless turned her pockets inside out.

"There. See? Nothing."

"Hm. It seems she is telling the truth, Octavian." The tone of his voice could have cut steel. "Let's go get your friend, shall we?"

Octavian slumped in defeat and turned to lead them down the hall. As the three of them got further away from his office, they heard Ophelia's voice echo, "Please, let go of me!" in a half-scream half-sob.

"Go!" Caspian shouted roughly, gripping the back of the other man's neck forcefully. The point of his sword dug into his back, and Elise was pretty sure that it was near the point of drawing blood.

When they found the other two, Ophelia was in a frightful state; her flaxen hair was a mess and her dress was torn. However, judging by the state of Severo, his vile mission hadn't yet been completed.

"What's going on here?" the King boomed; he redirected his sword towards Severo, who pushed Ophelia away from him as if she was on fire.

"N-nothing, sir," he stated nervously, "Everything's fine – she's just a maid."

"Do you think that makes a difference to me? Come along, the pair of you are going to the dungeon," he spat.

Elise, who hadn't realized that tears had been running down her face, immediately rushed over to her friend to see if she was all right.

"What happened? He didn't – "

"No, no," she choked. "But, if you hadn't – I really don't want to think about it…"

As Caspian began to make his way out of sight, Elise helped Ophelia up and pulled her along to follow him. "I really don't think we should be alone at a time like this," she explained.

They sat at the top of the steps leading to the dungeon as the men disappeared below.

"This is all my fault," Elise sighed miserably. "You shouldn't have come with me – you shouldn't have risked it."

Ophelia looked at her in shock. "What type of person would I have been if I'd just let that happen to you? No, there was nothing you could do. Plus, things could have turned out much worse, if you think about it…" She let out an involuntary shudder and wiped her eye with the back of her hand.

"But still…"

"It's fine. Don't worry. This isn't as uncommon as you'd think… Some of the stories I've heard from the other girls… Really, it's fine."

Elise was about to speak, but Caspian appeared and began to climb back up the stairs.

"What's going to happen to them?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "Although they deserve the gallows," he began bitterly, "they're probably only going to be held for a few weeks. Their families are powerful, and since no lives were taken, the death penalty does not apply…"

"But can't you – " she began.

"Elise, there's very little evidence against them. And the court is hardly going to be sympathetic to a maid and a foreigner, I'm sorry. This is the best I can do."

"Fine," she sniffed. It most definitely was _not_ fine, but she decided to let it go for the time being.

"I think I'm going to go to bed," Ophelia cut in. "Good night, Miss Elise, good night, Your Highness. I can't even begin to thank you enough for your kindness."

"Would you like us to walk you back?" Elise offered.

She shook her head. "No, my chambers are very close. But thank you anyway. Until tomorrow," she said, curtseying.

Once she was out of sight, Caspian asked, with intense seriousness, "Are you sure you're all right?"

Elise peered at him dolefully from beneath her eyelashes and replied, "Yeah. They didn't – they didn't _do_ anything to me, it was just a scare."

"C'mon," he said softly, "Let's get you back to your room. It's late."

"Imagine if you hadn't been in your office," she said suddenly.

"You shouldn't think like that," he said, slinging an arm around her.

She stopped abruptly and turned to face him. "Did you really not believe me when I said that I hadn't stolen anything?" she demanded.

"No, of course I believed you. I just had to play the part."

She turned away again, satisfied with this response, and continued walking. As they got away from the servants quarters, it became apparent that the commotion had not gone unnoticed; there were several men and women in their nightclothes holding candles and crowding the hallways.

"Your Majesty," one bearded man asked, "what happened?"

"Don't worry about it. I will give an explanation tomorrow morning," he said. More loudly, he announced, "There is nothing to be seen here, you should all return to your rooms."

From the surprised looks on their faces, Elise surmised that they were not used to seeing Caspian up and about. She gathered that most people only interacted with him at formal functions.

They immediately obeyed his instructions, but, if their expressions were any indication of their thoughts, they suspected exactly what Ophelia warned her they would.

Once they were all behind closed doors and she and Caspian had arrived outside her room, she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Why?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"Because – well, your reputation…"

He furrowed his brow for a moment, not immediately understanding what she meant; however, the meaning of her words soon clicked. "Oh. Well, my predecessors have done much worse than is even suspected of us, I suppose."

"Yes, but still…" she trailed off.

"Don't worry about it. Just try to get some rest. I think maybe we ought to leave tomorrow… Octavian and Severo's parents aren't going to be happy about what's happened, and I don't want them to have any opportunity to uh, to take their _frustration_ out on you."

"What about Ophelia?"

He bit is lip evasively. "What about her?"

"We can't – we can't just leave her here! If you're afraid of what could happen to me, imagine what's going to happen to her! Can't she come with us?"

He made a pained expression. "I really don't know if that's a good idea, Elise… Remember what I said about the less people the better?"

"Yeah, but come on – she's my friend!"

He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment. "Fine," he agreed begrudgingly.

"Thank you," she replied softly, hugging him.

He seemed surprised at first, but eventually he reciprocated her embrace and patted her back comfortingly.

"Sorry. I don't – I don't know what's gotten into me. Maybe the shock's wearing off." She chuckled humorlessly, "I don't usually do this, sorry."

"It's fine," he laughed, "You don't need to keep saying 'sorry.' Just get some sleep – I'll see you tomorrow. We'll leave at noon, alright?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll tell Ophelia in the morning, I guess. Goodnight, and thank you again," she said, stepping into her room.

"Any time," he said.

He then turned to walk away and Elise shut and locked the door behind him. She flopped on her bed and buried her face in the pillows, desperately willing tomorrow to come.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

Elise barely slept a wink that night, which was understandable, really. Because, despite her door being locked and sealed with a heavy wooden writing desk in front of it, she did not feel safe. In fact, she was elated that Caspian had chosen that particular day to leave because she did not want to spend another minute in that castle.

Her first activity of the day was packing her bags. She didn't have a vast array of possessions, so this was a fairly simple task. When she'd finished stuffing her dresses, shoes, toiletries, and the _Narnian Encyclopaedia_(because, you know, it could come in handy), into her trunk, she set off to inform Ophelia of their intention to depart.

She didn't know quite where to find her, but she figured that the laundry room might be a good place to start. Indeed, it was, because she immediately spotted her friend washing a pair of trousers in a large, circular stone tub.

"Ophelia!" she called above the clamor.

The girl's head shot up and scanned the bustling crowd for the source of the noise.

"Over here," Elise said, waving. Ophelia let the garment sink into the water and began to walk towards her.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked.

"Come outside, I have to tell you in private."

"Alright. What is it?" she whispered once they were in the courtyard.

"Caspian and I are leaving today to find a way for me to return home. You should come with us – it's not safe for you to stay here."

"I appreciate your concern, but I really can't – I need this money to send back to my mother and sister…"

"But it's not worth the risk," she insisted.

Ophelia smiled sadly. "It will be fine. Don't worry about me."

"You can't stay here – when they get out of prison, they're not going to be happy…"

"I've nowhere else to go," she said quietly, "I can't leave."

"We could take you back to your family," the other girl offered.

"I'm not from the city. Plus, what would I do there? Like I said, we need the money – my mother doesn't make enough on her own."

"I'm sure we could find you something… How about this: we go to your village and if we can't find work for you, you can always return with Caspian on his way back."

"I suppose that would be all right…"

"Brilliant! Where exactly are you from?"

"It's a fairly small town on the Telmar River; it's called Mareisola."

"Oh, good. It's on the way, then?"

"I suppose – we're going west, right?"

"Yeah. Okay, good… You should start packing your things, then – we're leaving at noon."

As she and Ophelia parted ways, Elise decided to pay Caspian a visit. She didn't know where his bedroom was, which was probably for the best, but she knew that his private quarters took up an entire wing of the castle. So, she went into said area, only to be stopped by a guard.

"Oi, what are you doin' 'ere, Missy?" he asked her.

"I'm looking for the King. Do you know where I can find him?"

" 'e's in 'is room. _You're_not allowed in there. No one is. Not without special permission, they're not."

"Oh. I see."

She turned to leave, but he stopped her.

"Wait a moment – what's your name?"

"Elise d'Orsay."

He narrowed his eyes. "You're that girl the King's taken a fancy to, then, aye?"

She remained silent for a while, not quite sure of how to respond. Eventually, she meekly replied, "I guess you could say that…"

"I s'pose I could let you in," he said, winking. "Don't want to be a spoil-sport – 'specially not for the King."

"It's the middle of the day," she protested, "I just want to talk to him."

"So that's what they're callin' it nowadays? Don't think I didn't 'ear about your little escape last night - everyone's been talkin' about it."

Elise looked at him disparagingly and simply brushed past him. "So crude," she mumbled under her breath, watching the ground as she walked.

As she turned the corner, someone asked, "What is?"

She knew that voice – it was Caspian, and he was smirking at her.

"Er, no one – never mind that. I was just looking for you."

"I can see that."

She scowled at his baiting tone, but continued, "I've spoken to Ophelia – she's coming with us. I told her we'd be able to drop her off at her town on our journey."

"Where is she from?"

"Mareisola. Have you heard of it?"

"Of course I have, it's part of my kingdom," he joked.

"Oh. Right. Well, where are we meeting?"

"At the stables. I just have a few things to take care of before we go."

"Okay, I'll see you later then. I'll go tell Ophelia where to meet us."

"Alright," he said, starting to walk away.

Before he had left completely, she stopped him. "Wait, Caspian?"

"Yes, what is it?" he asked, somewhat impatiently.

"Thank you again. And Ophelia thanks you as well. Maybe I should be able to trust you with my life, after all."

He smiled kindly. "You're very welcome. But I think perhaps you're just saying that as an excuse to get out of practicing your sword fighting and archery. Don't think I'm not on to you… Your lessons will continue as we travel."

"Great," she said sarcastically.

Again, he grinned at her mischievously. "See you in a bit!" he called enthusiastically, continuing on his way.

Elise shook her head, turned around, and walked back towards the servants' quarters in order to inform Ophelia of their plans.

_(Later…)_

The two young women waited for Caspian outside of the stables, just as he had requested. It had been a bit of a hassle leaving the palace unnoticed, but, luckily, Ophelia knew all the secret nooks and passages and was able to get them out stealthily.

Just then, Caspian's silhouette appeared in the distance.

"Hello, girls," he greeted once he was in earshot.

"Hello, Your Majesty," Ophelia said with a quick curtsey.

"Hi," Elise said rather unimpressively. After witnessing Ophelia's extreme sense of politeness, she realized that it might be odd travelling with a King and a maid. Their social stations were so far apart – they hardly knew how to deal with one another on a regular basis.

"Does she really have to call you 'Your Majesty'?" she asked rather boldly.

"Er – no, I suppose not…" he said awkwardly. "When it's just the three of us, you can call me Caspian." Elise had kind of put him on the spot, but, he had to admit, it was a topic that needed to be addressed.

"Really?" Ophelia asked. She seemed very nervous.

"Sure. I mean, we're all peers, when you think about it. There's not really any need for formality."

"Alright, if you're certain…"

"Now, Caspian," Elise interrupted eagerly, "do you have a horse for her as well?"

"Yes, there are many. Come inside, we have to get ready."

The inside of the building was just as decrepit the outside; there was hay and dust everywhere, along with several fluffy barn cats lounging on the windowsills. She immediately spotted Xanthus and Rex, who were standing in parallel stalls. However, there were many other horses besides theirs – nearly twenty, she estimated.

"You can have this one," he said, patting a chestnut mare on the nose. The name written on the stall was Nelly. Curiously, Elise looked to see what was written on Xanthus'.

"I took the liberty of labeling her door," he said, following her line of vision.

"Oh, thanks."

The two Telmarines began tacking up their respective horses, and Elise watch attentively while trying to imitate them.

When the trio had finished, they led their horses outside and climbed into their methods of transportation. Caspian rode through the gates first, with the two girls trailing behind him.

"Here we go…" Elise mumbled to herself.

Once they were out the guards' line of vision, Elise saw Caspian take out a map and rode up alongside him.

"So where are we heading first?" she asked.

"We have to cross through the Shuddering Woods. There's a small village called Archenbrook at the start of the woods – it's very old, mostly inhabited by Narnians. We can pick up camping supplies and stay the night there before heading through."

"Camping supplies? We're _camping_?" she asked distastefully.

"Yes, you didn't think we were staying in resorts along the whole way, did you? Where's the fun in that?"

"But – but isn't it dangerous?"

She heard Ophelia snicker behind her, but ignored it.

"I suppose, but what do you think I wanted to train you for? Plus, what with all that nonsense about trusting me and such, I'd think you would feel perfectly comfortable."

Elise faltered – he had a point. "Fine," she grit out.

They travelled for roughly three hours, before reaching the outskirts of Archenbrook. The town did indeed look ancient, and many of the stone cottages were either drowned in ivy or simply falling apart. The streets were unpaved, and pictorial wooden shop signs hung above them. It seemed to be a quiet town, but there were various semi-human and bestial creatures meandering about. Once they'd entered the village, they tied up their horses.

"I'll get the supplies," Caspian began. He tossed Elise a pouch of coins, "You two can get us rooms at the inn. We'll meet there in a half hour. Alright?"

"Okay," Elise agreed. "But wait, won't people recognize you?"

Caspian shook his head. "The only images of me that people have seen are paintings and sketches. That's the irony of it – no one would recognize me if I wasn't wearing a crown. I have to say, though, it does come in handy."

The local inn was called the _Wandering Toad_, and the girls were able to procure two rooms – one for them, and one for Caspian.

The innkeeper was an old, kind faun named Mr. Kerok, who was extremely happy to have customers.

"It's hardly very often that we get humans around here," he told them amiably. "What brings you to Archenbrook?"

"We're on our way through the Shuddering Woods," Elise explained vaguely. She didn't want to have to answer too many questions because she didn't know exactly just how much information she was allowed to divulge.

"Just the pair of you? That's a bit of a dangerous mission for two young ladies such as yourselves," he noted.

Elise bit her lip in an attempt to think of a response, but Ophelia beat her to it. "Actually, my brother is accompanying us," she said, "That's who the other room is for."

"Oh, I see. And why is it you're trying to go through the woods?" _What is this, an interrogation? _Elise thought.

"We're going to see my family in Mareisola," Ophelia answered.

"How wonderful," he said, handing them the keys to their rooms, "Well, I hope you have a safe and successful voyage."

"Thank you," the two said in unison.

Their room was definitely… cozy. It was small, and there were two twin beds, a dresser, and nearly nothing else. But, it was only for one night so it would have to do.

Caspian arrived a half hour later, just as he had told them he would. For someone so used to royal accommodations, he seemed quite unperturbed by their sub-par lodgings and very lax about the hardships that were to come. Although, she did remember him saying something about having defeated his uncle, so perhaps he was more than just a posh, catered-to monarch who had never worked a day in his life. His battle techniques didn't seem theoretical enough to have never been put to the test. Whatever the case, Elise was thoroughly impressed (though she would never admit it) with the way he was handling the whole ordeal.

That night, they had dinner, which consisted of various boiled vegetables, at the only restaurant in the village. They then returned to their respective bedrooms and readied themselves (some more than others - Elise had quite a bit of mental preparation to do) for the voyage that was to be undertaken in the morning.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX**

Elise woke up the same way she was always woken up: to someone shaking her.

"C'mon, Caspian knocked on the door and he's coming back in ten minutes. I told him you'd be up by then," Ophelia said.

The other girl let out a loud groan and peered through the window; it was still dark outside. "What time is it?" she asked incredulously.

"Five thirty. Now get up."

"Five thirty!" she echoed in outrage.

"You know," Ophelia began, "maybe you're more like those other girls in the castle than I thought."

"Okay, okay, I'm awake. No need to get testy. Why are we leaving so early?"

"You want to home quickly, don't you? Plus, we want to minimize the amount of time we have to spend in the forest at night."

"I _guess_ that makes sense," Elise grumbled, cleansing her face in the washbasin.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Since Elise was still trying to throw her things together, Ophelia answered. As soon as Caspian was able to catch a glimpse inside, he couldn't help but let out a laugh at Elise's disorganized state.

"It's not funny," she muttered darkly amidst a whirlwind of frantic packing.

"Unfortunately, I have to say that it is. So this is what we're to be dealing with for the next few days?"

"Look, finished! And it only took eleven minutes. Really, you have nothing to complain about… How come the both of you are so chipper, anyway?"

Caspian looked rather confused. "What do you mean?"

"I don't understand it – people like you," she continued darkly, shaking her head. "People who are so energetic in the morning. It's not _natural_."

He bit his lip and resisted the urge to laugh at her once again – Ophelia seemed to be experiencing a similar reaction to her behavior.

"Come along," she said, forcing the amusement out of her voice, "Let's get going."

Elise heaved her bag over her shoulder, but Caspian, being the gentleman that he was, almost immediately took it from her.

"Thanks," she mumbled, not daring to look at him. She was still angry with him for teasing her. But, for some peculiar reason, she had to dig her teeth into her lower lip to keep herself from smiling.

This was bad. She was feeling sentimental. She was getting attached. She _couldn't_get attached. The whole purpose of this mission was to get her home, to get her away from Narnia and away from Caspian and Ophelia.

Yes, this was indeed very bad. She would miss them. She wanted to leave, but she didn't want to leave _them_. How ironic.

But what _really_troubled her was her attachment to Caspian. It had only been a little over a week since they'd met, and yet she felt very close to him. True, he was her first real friend in Narnia (excluding Conwick, of course, but she had only known him for a few days). Yes, that was it – that _had_to be it. He was the first one who was nice to her, and that was all. That was the only reason she liked him. It was not because he was charming, handsome, amusing, and brave. No, that was certainly not it.

After they had bid Mr. Kerok goodbye, Caspian asked her, "What are you thinking about?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing. Just going home and all that."

"Are you excited?"

She forced herself to sound happy: "Yes, of course. I can't wait to see Robbie and the rest of my family. Ophelia, you must know how I feel."

The other girl smiled sadly and said, "I haven't seen my mother or sister in years… They probably won't even recognize me."

"Don't say that, of course they'll recognize you! I'm sure they're going to be thrilled to see you."

"Hopefully."

By this time, they had reached their horses and where heading out of the village.

"When we're in the woods," Caspian instructed, "stay close. We can't get separated, understand? Many of the creatures aren't exactly the friendliest things, and most of them still hold a grudge against the humans. Be very careful."

"Just what exactly are we dealing with?" Elise asked anxiously.

"Minotaurs, amongst others. I'm not really sure."

"Minotaurs? You mean those bull-headed things?" Really, there was quite a lot of overlap with mythology in Narnia – she had to find some way to get him a copy of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

"If you see one, I wouldn't refer to it as a 'thing,' but yes."

"And they're not friendly, I take it?"

"Not usually. They're hotheaded and rash is what I've gathered from my own experience. But there are also bears, wolves, rocs, megarachnids, megabats, and basilisks. That's what you really have to be afraid of."

Elise looked as if she might be sick. "When you say megarachnids and megabats, surely you don't mean – "

"Giant spiders and giant bats? That's precisely what I mean. But don't worry – they're all rare. The chances of coming across any of them are very slim…"

All she could manage was, "Giant. Spiders." That would not do. She was afraid of even the most miniscule of spiders – the thought encountering a giant one made her stomach churn violently. She almost considered asking if they could turn around, but instead she said, "Caspian, I swear on my mother's life, if we run into one, I will never forgive you."

He stared ahead thoughtfully for a moment, before replying, "You know, they're really not that difficult to take on if you have a sword; their exoskeleton makes them rather vulnerable, actually. The tricky thing is, sometimes they travel in groups – that's what makes them dangerous. But if you can just get your sword into their abdomen… I mean, it's quite a messy thing, but effective nonetheless." He looked over to see her reaction and grinned evilly – he was enjoying making her squirm.

"It's not funny!" she protested.

"It's a little bit funny," Ophelia piped in.

Elise scowled at her darkly, so she tried to reconcile herself by saying, "Can't you see he's just saying all that to get you riled up? I don't think megarachids or megabats even exist, do they?"

Caspian bit his lip guiltily and shook his head.

Elise's head snapped to look at him in outrage. "I can't believe – "

She was cut off by the sound of his laughter. "The other ones do exist though, I promise," he assured her.

"How comforting," she drawled. "And just when I was thinking that I might miss you, too…" She realized what she'd said after it was too late.

"You thought you might miss me?" His tone had lost all its sarcasm and had turned to one of genuine curiosity.

"_Might_, being the key word."

"Oh. I see." Perhaps it was just her own desires corrupting her sense of reality, but she thought she sensed the _faintest_ hint of disappointment in his voice.

However, before she could say anything more, she noticed for the first time that they had entered the woods. Now, a canopy of leaves obscured the rising sun and various living creatures were scuttling around in the undergrowth. Elise might have been worried about the noises, had she not been too busy reveling in her relief about the non-existence of megarachnids.

"How long does it take to get through here?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"It will probably take around two days or so. One night for sure, two tops."

"So, essentially, what you are saying is that the worst to come is tonight?"

"I suppose. It's certainly going to be much more dangerous after dark."

"And the only light we're going to have is a campfire?"

Caspian shook his head enthusiastically. "Years ago, King Edmund left me something very useful. I believe he called it a 'torch.'"

Elise cocked her head to the side. "You have it with you?"

He nodded and reached into the pack tied at the side of his saddle. Sure enough, he took out a very modern and very functioning flashlight.

"Wow. What else did the Pevensies leave you with?"

"Just this. And Queen Susan's horn."

"What's that?"

"If it is blown, the Pevensies will be summoned. Although, I don't know if it still works since Susan and Peter have been forbidden from returning."

"Oh. That's not much help."

"You'd be surprised," he said nostalgically.

"You really miss them?" It wasn't so much a question as it was an observation.

"Yes," he replied, nodding his head.

"Why don't you just call them back, then, if you have that thing?"

"It's not that simple… I fear that if I call them back again, it will be for the last time."

"So you're saving it up?"

"I guess you could say that, in a manner of speaking…"

There was something he wasn't telling her – she could hear the sadness pervading his voice. He missed them, sure, but there was something else as well. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, though.

After a while, they had to stop – their horses were tired. Elise and Ophelia started walking around to stretch their legs, when Caspian took out his sword and tossed Elise hers.

"What's all this about?"

"Good way to kill time. Plus, don't you think you're ready for the real thing? This is the first time we're dueling with actual swords."

She studied the weapon in her had carefully. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Why not? C'mon."

"Alright," she sighed. "You asked for it," she added mischievously.

The clang of metal rang out through the otherwise-silent forest. Real swords were much heavier than wooden ones, Elise noticed immediately. For the most part, she was able to avoid his blows – her plan was to let him tire himself out. However, when she did have to block his attacks, she found herself swaying off balance. Eventually, after a few minutes, he'd knocked her sword out of her grip and had her cornered against a tree.

"Okay, okay, you win," she said, putting her hands up in surrender.

He smirked at her and gave her back her weapon.

Ophelia applauded. "You both did excellently," she exclaimed joyfully.

"Thanks," Elise muttered in embarrassment – she didn't exactly enjoy losing, especially in front of others.

"Let's keep going. I think the horses have had enough time to rest," he said.

_(That night…)_

After dinner, the three travelers sat around the campfire in silence. Earlier in the day, they had set up the tent, which was larger than anything Elise had seen back home. It was held up by wooden beams, and consisted of different sheets of non-waterproof fabric. Also, the floor was not covered; luckily, they had brought mats and blankets to sleep on.

The thought of them all staying under the same roof was a tad unconventional, but Elise had to admit that she felt a lot safer near Caspian than she ever would have on her own. So, she supposed it was for the best.

"So," he asked, breaking the silence, "what are the first things you two are going to do once you get home?" The topic kept rearing its ugly head, and thinking about it was beginning to tug at Elise's heartstrings.

"I don't know," Ophelia started, "probably tell my mother and sister what I've been up to. I'm sure they're curious. What about you, Elise?"

"Give Robbie a big hug. And my grandparents and my mum, too," she stated. The response flowed easily from her mouth and gave no indication of the inner turmoil she was experiencing.

He sent her a sort of melancholy smile and locking her gaze. For a second, she could have sworn that he looked just as torn up about it as she felt.

Before she had a chance to properly analyze the meaning of the glance, however, something rustled in the bushes.

The girls hardly had a chance to register what was going on before Caspian had sprung to his feet, unsheathed his sword, and pushed them behind him.

"Stay back," he instructed quietly, "Move towards the tent. Who's there?" he yelled menacingly into the night, "Show yourself!"


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter X**

Elise scrambled towards the horses – which were rearing and struggling in panic – and retrieved her sword. Ophelia, conversely, stood frozen behind an alert-looking Caspian.

"M-maybe it was just a raccoon or something," Elise suggested lamely.

"That was much too loud to be a raccoon," the other girl hissed.

All of a sudden, three wolves jumped out of the bushes and began predatorily circling the campsite. Elise screamed loudly, and the horses broke free and galloped away in fright.

"Well, well, well," one of them snarled, yellow eyes gleaming evilly, "What do we have here?"

"Telmarines," another snapped.

Eventually, they had herded the three humans in such a way that they were all back-to-back, with Elise and Caspian holding their swords desperately and Ophelia wringing her hands in utter terror.

"We are no longer enemies," Caspian reasoned, "Do you not remember? I fought alongside the Narnians and the Kings and Queens of Old in the war against my uncle."

"Do _you_ not remember who it was that killed one of our most legendary leaders? It was your beloved King Peter."

"That was ages ago!" he protested.

"We wolves do not soon forget the misdeeds done unto our kind," the leader of the pack growled. "Now, which one shall we devour first, boys? The pale one looks rather delectable."

Elise was appalled, and Caspian stated in a tone just as menacing as the wolf, "You shall not lay a hand on anyone."

"I believe the correct term would be paw," Elise whispered in his ear – he shot her a brief aggravated glance that said, _"this is hardly the time."_

"Surely we can come to some sort of understanding…" she tried.

"Or," the wolf continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "we could take the unarmed one. Or we could split up. That seems to be the most logical decision, does it not?"

Without further ado, each wolf launched itself at one of them.

Unsurprisingly, Ophelia was faring the worst. She had grabbed Edmund's flashlight at the last minute and was using it as a sort of club, but it wasn't the most effective of weapons.

Caspian rolled out of the way and was almost immediately able to slay his attacker. When he had shrugged the weight of the dead animal off his shoulders, he moved to help Ophelia.

Elise's approach was very different from his; instead of facing the angry wolf head-on (which happened to be the leader of the pack, lucky for her) head-on, she fled to a more heavily wooded part of the forest. Eventually, she reached a point where the only thing separating the two of them was a large tree. They orbited the trunk, their eyes never leaving one another.

"Don't be afraid, love, I don't bite… Much."

"Get away from me," she shouted, holding her sword in front of her at an arm's length.

The wolf stopped moving abruptly. The two stared at each other for a moment, before he lunged at her. She was able to slash his snout, but it was a very shallow wound. He yelped and snarled, angrier than ever. His powerful jaws clamped down on Elise's right hand, forcing her to drop her sword.

She let out a blood-curdling scream of pain as he began to drag her back through the forest to the campsite. She was able to retrieve her sword by grabbing it between her feet, but couldn't find a way to reach down and pick it up.

"Let me go," she yelled, writhing manically. But it was no use. He was too strong.

When they got back to Caspian and Ophelia, it was clear that the other wolf had done some damage as well. Ophelia was bleeding and Caspian was standing in front of her protectively with his sword drawn. He did not appear to be injured, which was probably a result of the fact that he was wearing a sort of armor. The wolf was crouched in front of them, ready to pounce. It saw its friend out of the corner of its eye: "I see you've got her, then."

"Release her immediately," Caspian commanded furiously. "You will pay for this – all of you. You'll have the same fate as your friend."

This seemed to further anger them, and the wolf holding Elise tightened his grip on her forearm; she let out a sharp hiss.

The sound sent Caspian into attack. He swung his blade at the wolf in front of him. The other, distracted by the commotion, took his eyes off Elise. She seized the opportunity to grab her sword and plunge it into his ribs. He let out another high-pitched yelp and staggered backwards in shock and pain.

Elise stood stock-still in awe of her achievement. Caspian and the last remaining wolf turned to her to see what she had done. The animal looked at Caspian, then to its comrade, and back to Caspian; it fled without another word.

She took her sword out of the unfortunate creature and watched as it sputtered and whined. She felt horrible. Sure, there really had been no other option, but she was still besieged by guilt. She knelt beside it as its breathing began to fade.

Caspian walked to her side and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It was necessary," he said.

She looked up at him, then down at her arm. She was bleeding, but not nearly as badly as Ophelia was.

"We have to help her," Elise said, pointing to the other girl. She was limping and clutching her arm tightly; there was blood seeping through her fingers.

"Quick, I have some vinegar and bandages in my bag," he said, pointing to the tent. "Sit down," he instructed Ophelia.

Elise emerged from the tent with a bottle, a cloth, and some gauze. Caspian tore the bottom half of Ophelia's sleeve off and took the cloth and bottle from Elise.

"This is going to sting," he warned her. Ophelia nodded and bit her lip in anticipation. He tore the cloth in half, wet one piece, and began cleaning the wound, revealing a neat row of bloody teeth marks.

"Hold this here," he told her, "You need to stop the bleeding."

She did as she was told, and he lifted up the hem of her dress; her ankle was severely damaged.

"Is it broken?" Elise asked quietly.

"I can't tell," he replied, using the other half of the cloth to clean the wound. "It's definitely damaged. We might need to make a splint."

"Okay, how do we do that?" she asked, cradling her own injury.

"Get a stick – one that will reach up to about her knee," he said, tearing the fabric from the end of Ophelia's dress.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed in surprise.

"I need this to secure the stick to your leg," he explained.

When Elise returned from her short venture into the forest with a stick in hand, she asked, "Will this work?"

"Yes, that's fine. Could you hand it to me, please?"

She did as she was told and watched as he wrapped the wound with gauze, propped the stick against Ophelia's leg, and them together with the fabric. Then, he wrapped her arm in gauze as well.

"That should be all right…" he said more to himself than to anyone in particular. "Now, it's your turn," he said to Elise.

She held out her arm; it hurt like hell, but thankfully she'd avoided moving it too much and the damage wasn't nearly as severe as it could have been. He gripped her wrist and poured the liquid directly onto her forearm – she clenched her eyes shut at the pain.

"Sorry," he murmured. When he was finished cleaning the wound, he wrapped it in gauze.

She inspected his work and asked, "How is it that you didn't manage to get hurt at all."

He shrugged, "I don't know. Just experience, I guess. That and my armor." He looked over at Ophelia guiltily and said, "I'm so sorry… this is all my fault. I should have told you to come with us."

"Don't be sorry," she said, "You couldn't have prevented them from attacking… And you did the best you could in terms of protecting us."

"But I was at least able to train Elise a bit before we left – I didn't get to do the same with you. It was irresponsible of me to let you come. _And_ I should have gotten you both fitted for armor as well. What was I thinking? How could I have been so stupid?"

"We can't dwell on that now," Elise cut in, "Plus, she's going to be fine, right?"

"Yes, as long as her ankle isn't broken," he said, "Is it difficult to walk on it because of the cut, or is it something else?"

"It's more the pain of the bite than anything," she replied after testing out the splint.

"Good."

"And we can always get armor when we come out at the other side of the woods," Elise suggested.

Caspian nodded in agreement.

After a moment, she asked, "What about the horses?"

He bit his lip nervously – it was crucial that the horses came back.

"I don't know. Hopefully they will return to us. If they don't we'll have to continue on foot – " he looked at Ophelia – "but I don't know how we'll transport her. I suppose I could carry her…"

"Don't be ridiculous!" she said, "You can't carry me the whole way!"

"She's right," Elise agreed.

"Let's not worry about that just yet," he said, "They'll probably come back. They usually come back."

"This has happened before?"

"Once."

"And they came back?"

"Well, no, but they're supposed to. They're trained to."

"Great. Just bloody fantastic," Elise said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"Look," he sighed, "the best thing we can do at the moment is get some rest. You two go inside and try to sleep. I'll stay out here and stand guard."

"Fine," she said begrudgingly. She walked over to Ophelia and supported her into the tent. She had to say, she was very impressed by how she was taking the whole catastrophe; most girls would be screaming and crying and begging to go home. In fact, Elise herself probably would have been doing all of those things. But Ophelia did not complain. Not once.

She lay down on her sleeping mat and Elise tried to make her has comfortable as possible. She rolled up her blanket and placed it under the other girl's foot to ensure that her ankle stayed in place. Then, she walked over to her own area and lay down. She couldn't kid herself. She pretended to be asleep for Ophelia's sake, but she knew that she wasn't going to get any rest. When the other girl was asleep, she got up and joined Caspian outside.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as she sat beside him.

"You don't honestly think I'll be able to sleep after that, do you?"

He didn't answer immediately, but instead turned his gaze away from her back towards the campfire. "You need to rest," he said finally.

"So do you," she countered.

"_I_didn't get injured," he pointed out.

"So what if you're right," she said tiredly, "it's not gonna happen. What if they come back with reinforcements?"

"That's not going to happen, either," he assured her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Caspian shift slightly. And then there was pressure on her upper arm. It was his hand. He was putting his arm around her. The whole thing happened in a matter of seconds, but time seemed to pass agonizingly slowly.

There was an awkward moment when they were both frozen in place. But, eventually, the surprise wore off and Elise scooted into him and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him let out a breath that he'd been holding in and smiled covertly; she was making him nervous! _She_ was making _him_ nervous. Probably not nearly as nervous as he made her, but still, nervous nonetheless.

But this was just friendly, she told herself. This was what friends did, they reassured one another. That was all he was doing. There were no other implications in his actions. She couldn't afford for there to be any other implications in his actions, because leaving was going to difficult enough as matters stood.

After several moments in Caspian's comforting grasp, she became aware of the fact that she was much more tired than she'd initially thought. Pretty soon, her eyes were drooping closed and she was drifting to sleep despite her resolution not to. However, before she was completely unconscious, she heard the clomping of hooves growing nearer and nearer.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter XI**

"Elise, wake up," Caspian said, nudging her softly.

Her head shot up; she was lying on her sleeping mat inside the tent.

"What am I doing here?" she asked in bewilderment.

"You fell asleep on me," he started sheepishly, "And I had to get up but I didn't want to wake you, so I moved you here."

"Oh," she began embarrassedly, "sorry about that…"

"There's nothing to be sorry about," he laughed, "It's good that you fell asleep. You were sure out quickly after all that talk about being worried and such, though."

Elise felt the urge to say something incredibly corny along the lines of, _"I guess I don't worry around you,"_ but resisted. Instead, she smiled bashfully and cast her gaze downward. Good Lord, she might as well have been eleven again with the way she was acting. She needed to keep it together.

"Did the horses come back?" she asked eventually.

"Why yes, they did."

"That's lucky… So we're leaving now, then?"

"Well, I'd like to, but Ophelia's still sleeping," he said, looking over his shoulder.

Elise bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "I hate to wake her… Especially after what happened."

"I know, that's just what I was thinking as well. Perhaps we ought to make something to eat. Maybe she'll wake up by the time we're finished."

"Good idea. So what did you take with you?"

"I have some eggs that I bought before we left… We should probably use them soon anyway – there's a frying pan in my bag, too."

"Wow, you really thought of everything, didn't you?"

Caspian shrugged. "I _have_ done this before," he countered pointedly.

Her mouth twitched into an amused smirk and she gave him a flirtatious glare as she turned to saunter over to his knapsack. She could be a tease, too; it was a two-way street. Though his frequent little quips were designed to annoy her, deep down she found their banter and frustrated exchanges somewhat enjoyable. But she would never admit it.

She indelicately began rummaging through the satchel, before stumbling upon the sought-after item.

"You're going to do it?" he asked as she exited the tent with the frying pan and eggs.

"I _have_done this before," she parroted. "Don't you think I know how to cook? I have a younger brother, remember?"

"Well," he began, flustered, "I didn't know if it was the same in your world…"

She smiled kindly – embarrassment was very endearing on him. It was remarkable how one individual could have such a range of personalities; he would go from a brave, intimidating king to a normal, shy young man in a matter of seconds. Though, she supposed the former was more of a façade than his true personality… He only exercised his sovereign power when he was around strangers or his subjects.

When she had finished scrambling the eggs, she asked, "Do you think you could go inside and wake Ophelia up? It's pretty late… She's probably gotten enough sleep by now."

"Sure," he replied, walking into the tent.

Elise's two companions emerged shortly, with Caspian supporting Ophelia.

"How's your leg?" she asked.

"Not great," she admitted.

"I'm sorry," Elise said sympathetically, "At least you won't have to walk on it much – the horses came back."

"That's wonderful!" she said optimistically.

"Yeah. And I made us some breakfast as well," she continued, scraping the eggs into three small wooden bowls. She handed two of them to her friends and kept one for herself.

"So what's the itinerary for today?" she asked after a few minutes of eating.

"Well, we're going to have to spend another night in the forest since we're getting off to a late start. But we should be out by the day after tomorrow for sure," Caspian answered. "Then we can stay the night in Sulia, which is a town right at the edge of the woods, and then the next day we can go to Mareisola, which is only a half-day's trip away."

"Sounds good."

"Yeah," he said. He'd finished his meal, so he began deconstructing the tent. When Elise was done as well, she joined him in rolling up the sleeping mats and folding the tarps.

They then attached all of their utilities to the horses' saddles and strapped Ophelia to Nelly to make sure that she didn't fall off. Soon, the three of them were riding through the trees as if they'd never stopped.

The day's trip was somewhat uneventful. They came across a fairly large group of centaurs, and they stopped to talk to them briefly. They were friendly, for the most part; they informed them that they were heading into a large Minotaur campsite and advised them to take an alternate route. Caspian thanked them and took their counsel, which delayed them somewhat.

That night, they decided to take an entirely different approach to camping than they had before. Instead of staying up late, they ate before sundown and avoided making a fire, so as to not draw attention to themselves. By the time it was dark, they were already in the tent.

Even though it was only around nine o'clock, Ophelia fell asleep quickly due to her fatigue from her injury.

Elise, however, was not as lucky. She'd always been a bit of a night owl and she was deeply concerned. True, the best thing she could do was stay quiet, but sleep left people at their most vulnerable. And she was not about to put herself at risk.

Currently, she was lying down, staring at the roof of the tent. To an extent, the darkness had obscured her vision, but eventually her eyes adjusted to the lack of light and she could faintly see the outline Ophelia's profile beside her. She couldn't see Caspian, though.

"Caspian," she whispered urgently.

"What?" he asked in an equally hushed tone. He sounded slightly irate.

"Are you awake?"

"I am now."

"What if something comes and attacks us again?"

"Go to sleep."

"Seriously."

She heard him sigh and shift slightly. "Just don't worry about it," he said, "Go to sleep. If anything's going to draw unwanted visitors, it's noise. So really, you're not doing us any favors by talking."

He was right. She bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anything else, but there was an uncomfortable fluttering in her chest. Her stomach had knotted itself painfully, and she felt as if something was going to jump out and get her at any moment. Talking made her feel better. It made her feel less alone.

"Caspian?"

"_What_?"

"Never mind," she said in a hurt tone.

"What?" he repeated more gently.

"It's just – I'm afraid. Hearing someone else's voice makes me feel better."

There was silence at the other end of the tent, but he wasn't responding because he simply didn't know what to say, not because he didn't want to answer her.

"Don't be afraid, Elise," he whispered finally, "I won't let anything happen to you, if that's any consolation."

"Yeah, but if we both go to sleep they can take us by surprise."

"Believe it or not," he began, his smile apparent in his tone, "not everyone's as heavy a sleeper as you are."

"True," she reasoned, "but I'm nearer the door. If anything comes in, it's going to get to me first."

"Would you like to switch places with me?" he asked as if he was speaking to a child.

She waited a moment, before replying, "Well, if you insist…"

He smirked in the dark, glad that she couldn't see him… She most likely would not appreciate his amusement.

Ever since she said she'd miss him a couple days ago (there could have been a 'might' in there somewhere…), he'd been thinking about her in a bit of a different light. Sure, she was entertaining and fun to taunt, but he had thought of her more as a temporary companion than a genuine friend. And that's how it should have been. Temporary. Fun while it lasted.

But maybe – just _maybe_ – he might miss her too. He felt a brief flash of irrational anger towards Aslan: why did this always have to happen to him? What did he do to deserve such emotional torture? First the Pevensies, now Elise. Perhaps he ought to ask the Red Sorcerer to find a way to cut off all interaction between the two worlds while he was at it – at least that would put a stop to the painful separations that seemed to have become an inherent part of Narnia's interaction with Earth.

He heard her shuffling footsteps against the dirt and could vaguely see her coming in his direction with her arms outstretched. Her shadow was illuminated slightly by the sliver of moonlight escaping through the entrance to the tent.

"Where are you?" she hissed.

He stood up and put his own arms out as well. "Come here," he whispered, "Follow my voice."

Eventually, her hands found their way to his forearms and he led her over to his sleeping area. Their movements were almost waltz-like, although clumsier and much less deliberate.

"Just by your right foot," he instructed.

They held on to each other for a bit longer than necessary. "Well, thanks," she said awkwardly.

"No problem," he replied, releasing her abruptly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she repeated quietly.

As she lay down, she could hear him stumble ungracefully through the dark over to her mat; unlike her, he didn't have the benefit of a guide leading him to his destination. She smiled to herself and snuggled into his blankets.

_(The next morning…)_

"Rise and shine, ladies," Caspian said loudly, tapping the hilt of his sword to the frying pan.

Ophelia shot into a sitting position, while Elise stirred lazily.

"What is it?" Ophelia asked groggily.

"Time to go," he said. "We're not far from Sulia. If we leave now, we'll surely arrive before dark. Elise," he increased the volume of his tone, "get up!"

"I'm up, Mum!" she yelled back in annoyance. She added in a more joking tone, "What's for breakfast?"

Caspian missed the humor in her voice. "Bread. We don't have time to prepare anything. C'mon, guys, we're so close! Don't you just want to be done with this blasted forest?"

Elise smirked; perhaps he wasn't as patient as he pretended to be, after all. "Alright, alright," she said, gathering her belongings.

Ophelia struggled to stand, and Caspian rushed to her side to help her. Elise bit her lip empathetically – it really was horrible that the poor girl had been injured in such a way. However, she was sure that her family would take excellent care of her once she returned to Mareisola.

The trip passed quite quickly. Luckily, they were not attacked in any way (which, normally, wouldn't be much of an accomplishment, but, well, their situation wasn't exactly normal). By four o'clock, they had reached Sulia. It was much more modern – by Narnian standards, that is – than Archenbrook and was also populated mainly by humans.

Their first order of business was to secure a place to stay for the night. They were quickly able to find an inn; that night, apparently, was a minor holiday in the village, and many of the rooms had been booked. Luckily, they were able to snag the last available one. However, the matron seemed somewhat perplexed by their companionship and was reluctant to sell them a single room. They were eventually able to convince her that they were siblings travelling to see their parents in Mareisola.

When the sun began to set, people started to flood into the streets. Elise watched the sight from her widow – it truly was beautiful. Paper lanterns outlined the village streets, and various merchants were selling a multitude of foods and novelty items. Caspian watched her observe the display longingly and joined her by the window.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she commented.

"Yes, it is. Would you like to go? The feast will be starting soon."

"Oh, can we?" Excitement seemed to be radiating off her.

"Of course! Ophelia, are you joining us?"

"That would be wonderful!"

"Great. Let's go then," he said, grabbing Elise's wrist and dragging her towards the door. In turn, Elise grabbed Ophelia. Soon, the three had made it out to the bustling street.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter XII**

All around them, there were colors, and everything was moving so fast – the world seemed to be swirling, like paints being mixed on a palette. Elise had to actively bring herself back into a state of focus. She was vaguely aware that Caspian was still holding her wrist, but she didn't mind. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"Where do we go?" she asked breathlessly.

"They're likely to have a main gathering place of some sort. Perhaps we ought to just follow the crowd," he suggested.

And that's just what they did. Eventually, they ended up at a large field, which had temporary wooden tables set up over half of it. The other half of the field was empty, and seemed to be dedicated to a different purpose entirely. For dancing, perhaps.

There was one very long table with myriad different foods displayed alluringly upon it. The trio grabbed plates and shoveled a hearty amount each of the culinary delights onto them. They then proceeded to commandeer one of the smaller tables.

What was particularly striking was the sheer number of people that surrounded them; the village itself was not very large, and yet townspeople seemed to be spilling boundlessly into the streets.

Eventually, their focuses shifted from the scenery to the food; Elise had no idea what she was eating, but it was delicious.

"Is it common to have gatherings like this?" she asked curiously.

Caspian nodded and swallowed before replying, "Yes. Each town usually has several unique holidays that it celebrates – founders' day, et cetera – and there are also a few that all of Narnia celebrates – Christmas, for example."

"You have Christmas here?" she asked in disbelief.'

"Why yes, Father Christmas comes to people's houses the night before Christmas and leaves gifts."

"Does he _really_, or is it the parents?" To her, this seemed to be a legitimate question.

Caspian, however, seemed perplexed. "Of course he comes. Why would the parents be involved?"

"In my world, the parents are the ones who give the gifts," she explained, "They just pretend that it's Father Christmas."

"Why would parents lie to their children?"

Elise was taken aback: "Well – it's, I mean, it's not really _lying_. They do it because it's more fun than the truth, I suppose."

"Your world is very strange."

"That is quite odd," Ophelia piped in in agreement.

"_My_world is very strange? We're not the ones with talking animals and Minotaurs!"

He shrugged. "That is simply a biological difference. We do not perpetuate lies here anymore – not since Miraz."

"You're being a bit harsh. Imagine a world without adventure: that's the world I live in. People have to make up their own stories, or else there would be nothing. There's no magic; no dragons to slay or sorcerers to find," Elise said, defeated.

"Then why do you want to go back?" he asked. He was clearly repulsed by the notion of such a boring life.

"It's not so bad – I mean, technology and medicine are progressing and there's less to worry about, I suppose. Well, there is the war… But the people are nice – my family is nice."

"If your family is the only reason you wish to return, why don't you just ask the Sorcerer to bring them here?" Ophelia asked innocently.

She faltered for a moment – she hadn't thought of that. "No, that wouldn't work," she reasoned after a while, "My mother and grandparents wouldn't be able to deal with this – I think maybe Aslan had been right to shut people out after a certain age."

"It should be a choice," Caspian stated firmly, "No one should be brought here or have to leave here against their will."

"But if that was the case," Ophelia stated, "then we would have never met her."

"We also would never have to see her leave."

There was an underlying hint of anger in his words; it was almost as if he wasn't really talking about Elise anymore.

However, she ignored it. "I didn't realize you were going to miss me so much," she teased cheekily.

"Uh – well, I – well, I'm just saying that it would be _easier_. You know, if none of this ever happened? We wouldn't be traveling all the way to the _end of the world_."

"I didn't think you minded," Elise said defensively, the humor slipping out of her tone abruptly.

Loud string music began to play, which served as a crowning effect to the finality of her statement.

Ophelia's eyes darted between the two of them nervously; even a stranger could see that there was something beneath the surface going on between them. _Barely_ beneath the surface, mind you, but still half-heartedly concealed. In fact, she didn't even think that _they_were oblivious to it, which spoke volumes as to just how brutally apparent the tension was.

Elise _clearly_ had feelings for Caspian. It was more than evident in the way she looked at him and spoke with him. Caspian, on the other hand, had proved to be a bit more difficult to read. To some extent, they were restraining themselves. And it made sense why, really: their separation was imminent. The whole thing was rather sad, in her opinion.

"It's not that I _mind_, it's just – you know what? Forget about it. Forget I said anything. I'm going to get dessert," he stated testily. The two girls watched as he gracefully dodged the growing mass of dancing townspeople.

Once he was out of earshot, Ophelia frankly informed her, "Elise, he obviously means that he doesn't want to see you go. You should really tell him how you feel."

The other girl's head snapped up from idly staring at her plate. "What?"

"You heard me – please don't try to deny it. It's painfully obvious that you care for him. If you at least tell him, then you can properly deal with what needs to be dealt with…"

"Can we just backtrack for a moment? Why do you think that I like him?"

"Just _now_, for example. That whole tiff – and you didn't honestly think that I could have slept through your little nightly conversations, did you?" She glanced to her right and saw that he was heading back towards the table. "We'll continue this later," she finished hurriedly.

"Wasn't anything you wanted?" Elise commented while observing his empty plate.

"No, I guess I've lost my appetite."

There was an awkward silence that spanned a few moments. It was almost as if they were waiting for a bomb to detonate.

"Why don't you two dance," Ophelia suggested not-so-tactfully, breaking the layer of volatility.

"What?" the other two asked in unison.

"I just thought it'd be nice if you taught her a bit of the Narnian culture, that's all. It's not as if it's a couples' dance… In fact, I'd teach her myself if it wasn't for my leg."

Caspian didn't look as if he wanted to do anything of the sort, but his royal training seemed to be kicking in. "Would you like to dance?" he asked, standing.

Ophelia kicked her under the table with her good foot, causing her to shoot up abruptly. She was forced to cover her behavior by gritting out, "Sure."

Elise wanted to be surprised at Ophelia's behavior, but she really wasn't. The girl had always enjoyed stirring up drama back at the castle, so why should things be any different now?

The dance everyone was doing wasn't particularly unusual. It seemed like a typical Mediterranean folk dance of some sort; people were joining hands and dancing in a circular motion. It wasn't especially difficult, and Elise didn't see why she needed Caspian to show her what to do. Regardless, the two of them joined hands and then took the hands of the people on either side of them.

"Is there a name for this?" Elise yelled above the music.

"Probably," he replied, "But I don't know what it is."

"It's called the Corrillo," said the woman on Elise's right.

"Oh, thank you."

"Where are you two from?" she asked.

"Uh we're from Telmar. We're just passing through – we're leaving tomorrow."

"It's lucky that you came just in time for the festival."

"Yeah, it was kind of a coincidence."

"So, are you and your husband going to visit family?"

Caspian, who hadn't really been paying attention, snapped his head in the woman's direction. "We're not married," he interjected quickly, before Elise could respond.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed…"

"It's fine. But yes, I guess you could say we're going to see family. Well, I am, at least. He's… escorting me."

The woman smiled kindly at them and said, "Well, I'm glad you were able to stop by. On behalf of the rest of the town, I welcome you to Sulia!" There was a chorus of semi-muffled assent from several eavesdroppers.

Just then, the song ended and a different type of music began to play. It, unfortunately, appeared to be a couples' dance. People began pairing off rapidly and, as Elise tried to escape back to the table, a boy asked her to dance.

She bit her lip indecisively – what harm could it do? Plus, Caspian appeared to have been shanghaied into dancing with someone as well. "Sure," she finally agreed.

However, soon into the song it became evident that this was not a one-partner endeavor; after only a couple of minutes, she was passed off to another man. And then, inevitably – because, with her luck, it really was inevitable, despite the fact that there were hundreds of other men – she ended up being flung at Caspian (who, in fact, had been flung at her as well). They would have collided painfully, had he not been able to stop his momentum in time. It was Elise who took the brunt of the force.

When the initial dizziness had worn off, she was able to look up at her partner. Where she greatly resembled a deer in the headlights, he looked smug and amused. He had forgotten their prior dispute, apparently.

"I thought you were angry with me," she said in response to his smirk.

"Angry? How could I stay angry with you? You're much too funny. You'd have made an excellent court jester, in another life."

"Just what, exactly, am I doing that is so amusing?" she demanded.

"Your dancing style, for starters – you're doing it all wrong. And the expressions you were making while you were with those other chaps were rather absurd."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had an audience…"

He let out a boyish laugh. "C'mon, Elise, you know I'm joking. Here follow what I'm doing."

Just when they had settled into a proper rhythm, there was another exchange of partners. But when people tried to yank them apart, Caspian requested, "Could you give us a minute, please – she's just getting the hang of it."

His response – which seemed to have been misconstrued as territorial – turned a few heads and drew even more irritating knowing-smirks. More switches followed, but the townspeople left the pair alone.

"This isn't exactly what I'd intended to happen… I just wanted you to get a bit of practice," he muttered as people began rearranging themselves for what seemed like the millionth time.

"What, you don't like dancing with me?"

A slower song settled in; there would be no more switching – that's when the nervousness set in. She readjusted her hold on his shoulder, tightening her grip.

"N-no, that's not what I meant at all," he said repentantly. His tone triggered something very odd. All of a sudden, his hand seemed to be burning into her waist and the proximity of their chests was constricting her breathing. He noticed the change in her manner and asked, "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," she covered quickly. He shifted his grasp down to her hip in a very slight motion, causing a cascade of sensations to work their way through her body. She couldn't look at him – she couldn't. But she did. His large chocolate-brown eyes were vaguely riddled with concern and the bore inquisitively into her own.

"Caspian, what's the _real_reason that you act so odd when we discuss my leaving?"

"What do you mean?" She could tell that this wasn't the response he was expecting at all. "I've told you the reason."

"I know there's something else, I can tell."

He sighed deeply. "What are you basing this conclusion on?"

"Don't try to avert the subject," she scolded, "Just tell me. Please."

He tore his eyes away from hers anxiously. "Like I've already said – it reminds me of the Pevensies…"

"Particularly?" she prodded.

His gaze snapped back to hers once again. "Particularly Susan," he finished melancholically. "You remind me of her a bit."

They were quiet for a while. Finally, Elise asked softly, "What was your relationship with her?"

He searched her eyes earnestly and replied, "I cared for her very much." For a brief moment, Elise could have sworn that he wasn't talking about Susan and felt an overwhelming need to fan herself.

"Were you in love with her?" she managed.

He tilted his chin up thoughtfully for a moment; "Love is a strong word – and I was young. Much younger than I am now, and much more naïve. I can't say exactly what I felt for her. If she had stayed, though, I might have come to love her, yes. But that's not the way it happened," he added. "You can't change the past – she's probably forgotten all about me."

She shook her head vigorously. "No one could ever forget you," she said solemnly; her vivid blue eyes bore desperately into his – she needed him to understand, needed him to know that _she_would never forget him.

And just like that, the song was over.

As they walked back to the table, Ophelia noticed that their demeanors had changed entirely; there was an air of dejection about them that hadn't been there before.

"Did you have fun?" she asked.

Elise perked up abruptly, but the other girl could tell that it was a façade. "Yes," she chirped.

"That's good," she replied, playing dumb, "I'm glad you've resolved you little squabble."

"Yeah," Caspian said in acquiescence, scratching the back of his neck.

Ophelia pressed her back against the chair luxuriously and observed the pair, like a craftsman surveying his handiwork. Her nudge seemed to have worked, for they were now glancing anxiously at one another every so often; they would lock eyes, look away, and repeat the process. It was almost painful to watch.

"I think I'm going to turn in," she said with a dramatic yawn.

"What? But it's still so early…" Elise insisted disappointedly.

"Oh – don't feel like you have to join me! Stay out as long as you like! I'm just not feeling too well."

"Well, are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! Please, stay out."

"Okay, but we'll at least take you back to the inn and make sure you're safe and sound."

They did so, and once Ophelia was "asleep" (Elise had the nagging feeling that she watched them leave the building from the window above, but she couldn't be sure), they set out to watch some of the street performances.

There was a man that blew fire, who Elise found particularly interesting. Caspian spent a solid five minutes tried to convince her that he was able to do so because he was part dragon. When she finally believed him, he admitted his lie; needless to say, she was not pleased. He would probably have a bruise on his shoulder in the morning.

There was also some sort of petting zoo for the children, which happened to contain a unicorn. He had to literally drag Elise away from this exhibit after nearly twenty minutes of fawning over the creature.

He distracted her with food – there was tons of it; sweets, savories, anything you could imagine. And there was also a multitude of beverages – particularly alcoholic ones. They tested Sulia's home-brewed lager, but neither had enough to be considered intoxicated. There were, however, many others who could barely find the balance to walk.

By midnight, people had started returning to their homes (save a few rowdy men and a handful of women of questionable intent) and the festival was quieting down. Both of the travelers were sufficiently tired, and they decided to head back to the inn.

"I had a really wonderful time," Elise told Caspian happily, "This is probably the most fun I've had since – well, since I can remember, actually. I don't even get to do things like this at home."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It's a shame you won't be able to see the festivals in Telmar – they're ten times grander than this, if you can fathom it."

She huffed petulantly – "Why can't they just make it so we can travel between worlds whenever we want?"

"They?" he asked amusedly.

"Aslan," she clarified.

"I don't know. I wish it could be that way too, believe me."

"I'll miss you," she stated gravely.

"What, no 'might' this time?"

She stopped walking and turned to look him in the eye. "No, I really will miss you."

His droll act faded a bit, and his tone became more somber. "I'll miss you too, Elise."

Tears began to gather in her eyes, and she turned her gaze upwards to stop them from falling. "God, if this is how I'm acting now, just imagine what a wreck I'll be when I have to leave for good," she laughed.

He put his hands on her shoulders and moved them up and down her arms comfortingly. "Hey," he soothed, "it will be all right." He wanted to think of something consoling to say, but there really wasn't anything that was coming to mind.

She leaned forward, and somehow they fell into an embrace. The side of her face was flush with his taut chest, and she could hear his heart rate pick up. She felt him rest his chin on the top of her head and murmur, "Everything will be all right."

They stayed like that for a while, shrouded in silence, before Caspian suggested, "Why don't we get to bed. We have an early start tomorrow."

After pulling apart, Elise expected a sheet of awkwardness to descend upon them – but no such thing happened. Neither spoke as they climbed the staircase up to their room, but the atmosphere was comfortable; it was as if words were unnecessary.

Caspian opened the door to their room quietly, careful not to wake Ophelia.

"Goodnight," he whispered.

Elise peered up at him contemplatively – she gave him a swift peck on the cheek, before repeating, "Goodnight."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter XIII**

Mareisola really was only about a half-day's trip from Sulia, just as Caspian had said. By the time they had reached the outskirts of the town, it was clear to see that Ophelia was bubbling over with excitement.

Mareisola was beautiful: its position upon the water made it a picturesque fishing village. It was also much more bustling than Elise had expected – true, it was smaller than Telmar, but it was also significantly larger than Sulia.

"You look as if you're about to explode with anticipation," Elise commented, giving Ophelia a wry once-over.

"Funny, Elise," she countered sarcastically. "We still need to finish our conversation, by the way."

"What conversation?" Caspian interjected, tone tinged with curiosity – curiosity that was, in Elise's opinion, wholly unwelcome.

"Nothing," she snapped hurriedly, " I don't know what she's talking about."

He narrowed his eyes at the girls suspiciously, but didn't press the matter further. "Women are very peculiar creatures," he muttered.

Ophelia just smirked at her two companions knowingly, earning an annoyed glare from one. Elise resisted the urge to strangle her on the spot – she was being so bloody _obvious_ about the whole situation. It was one thing to discuss the matter in private, but spouting out snide hints and comments like that was something else entirely.

However, she was able to set aside her agitation for her friend when they grew closer to her house; it was clear that she was nearly over the edge of sanity with nervousness.

"What if they don't recognize me," she whined.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ophelia, of course they'll recognize you – you're family," Elise assured her.

"But it's been so many years…"

"That won't matter – all your fears will melt away once you actually see them, don't worry."

"I bet Mercedes doesn't even look the same – she was so young when I left – she must be nearly twelve by now…"

"Calm down, everything will be all right."

After what seemed like a lifetime of Ophelia's endless anxious twittering, they arrived at her family's cottage. It was very homey, with a small, well-maintained garden in the front. It looked a bit out of place amongst the taller, more uniform buildings.

They dismounted their horses, and walked Ophelia to the doorstep. She took a deep breath, before raising her fist and knocking on the door.

A small, matronly woman with a heap of frizzy brown hair answered.

"Mum?" Ophelia squeaked.

The woman's eyes widened to saucers and she completely enveloped the girl. She was mumbling something, but it was incoherent on account of her sobbing. Caspian shot Elise a sidelong glance and offered her a mirthless smile. They were witnessing something that they themselves would both give anything to experience; the difference was, Elise's desire was within reach.

When the reunion had ended, the woman called, "Mercedes, come here! Quick, it's your sister!"

There was a brief shuffle of feet, and a girl appeared; she was pretty and wild-eyed, with the same mop of frizzy brown hair as her mother. Something about her face made it very similar to her sibling's.

"Ophelia?" the girl asked hesitantly.

Her sister, with tears in her eyes, nodded in affirmation. Again, another long and heartfelt embrace. Elise felt a tug at her chest as she was reminded of Robbie.

When the air of shock and excitement had dissipated, Ophelia's mother finally asked, "What in the name of Aslan happened to your leg? And who are your friends?"

"It's a _long_ story," she replied, "And this is Elise – "

Elise smiled and did a short curtsey. "Pleased to meet you," she said.

" – and this is C – "

"Conrad," Caspian finished, "Conrad Rainebrooke, it is truly a pleasure." He brought the back of the woman's extended hand to his lips. She smiled at him in a way that could only be described as a mixture between coyness and enthrallment.

"The pleasure is mine," she hummed giddily. "My name is Adora Rosecrans, and this is my daughter, Mercedes."

The young girl stared up at them, doe-eyed, before curtseying with a nudge from her mother.

"I never knew your last name," Elise covertly whispered to Ophelia. The other girl shrugged in response.

The Rosecranses entered the house – before she and Caspian crossed the threshold, Elise hissed with a smirk, "Conrad Rainebrooke?"

"I'd like to see you come up with something better," he countered.

Ophelia's head shot out from around the corner; "Are you two coming, or not?" she demanded.

Caspian silently signaled for Elise to go in first, and he followed close behind. They were led into some sort of small sitting room, and it soon became completely evident why Ophelia insisted that she needed to keep working; the house was cramped, to say the least.

Once they were all sitting, Ophelia began to rapidly explain the circumstances of their arrival. Honestly, Elise did not think that she would ever stop talking – there were points in the story during which she feared the girl might short-circuit due to the pace that her mouth was moving. Luckily, although her account was dramatic and detailed, she'd skirted around the fact that "Conrad" was really Caspian. _King _Caspian. And for that, they were all sufficiently thankful.

For some reason (actually, it was a very obvious reason), both Adora and Mercedes had taken a liking to Caspian. Both stared at him for lengthy periods of time, and both seemed to light up when he addressed them. Elise found this much more annoying than any rational person would, although Caspian himself didn't seem to think anything of it.

It was just then that it dawned on her that he was surrounded by women. She wondered if he minded, or even noticed. Knowing him, he probably quite liked the attention.

"Well," Adora said after her fit of rage towards Severo and Octavian and her daughter's long tale had ended, "the pair of you are staying the night, yes?"

"Well, we don't want to be a bother," Elise said, "I'm sure we could easily find an inn or something."

"Nonsense," Ophelia interjected, "you have to stay here… This is our last day together."

Her last sentence stuck in the air – a wave of gloom overcame the trio.

"Yes," Adora continued, oblivious to the newfound despondency amongst the group, "I insist."

"Sure," Elise murmured, not really paying attention. Caspian wrapped his arm around her comfortingly and amiably replied, "Thank you so for your hospitality – your kindness will not soon be forgotten."

His action towards Elise did not go unnoticed: Ophelia perked up immediately, Adora raised an eyebrow, and Mercedes looked vaguely disappointed. His eyes darted around nervously as he noticed the sudden attention. He quickly removed his arm from her shoulder and created a significant gap between them.

"So," he began, clasping his hands together, "would you mind showing us around, Ophelia?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed happily, bouncing out of her chair and towards the door. She'd gotten rather skilled at maneuvering herself with her injured leg. Elise and Caspian followed.

"Be back for dinner at seven!" Adora called before they left.

_(Later...)_

"Everything has changed," Ophelia commented sadly after about five minutes of walking around. "I thought I knew where everything was, but it's all different now…"

"We could go down to the water," Elise suggested.

"That's a good idea," Caspian agreed, "I have to charter a boat to take us across the river tomorrow anyway."

"Alright," Ophelia replied.

They went down to the docks, only to see crates upon crates of fish, accompanied by a plethora of fishermen; it was the most active part of the city.

After Caspian went off to hire someone to take them across the river, Ophelia said to Elise, "He really cares about you, you know."

The other girl scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous – we've hardly known each other a month."

"We've known each other for even less time – do you think that cheapens our friendship?"

"Well, no, but – but what you're talking about is different."

"Just remember what I said before, Elise: you _do_have options. You don't _have_to go home – you could ask for your family to be brought here. If your only reason to go back is a handful of people, you might as well."

"I don't expect you to understand my reasons, you haven't seen where I'm from. But I have a life there – my family has a life there… It could never be the same in Narnia. It just couldn't."

"I do understand that it's different, you've made that clear. But is it _better_?"

She remained silent – in all honesty, she didn't know.

"You wouldn't have to leave us," Ophelia offered. It was the best reason she could give to persuade her to stay.

"Robbie might be able to adjust to it because he's still young – but my mum? My grandparents? It would never work."

"I'm just asking you to think about it," she said.

"Think about what?" Caspian interrupted. Apparently he had returned from his task.

"Which store she wants to go to first," Ophelia lied.

"Store?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes, we wanted to have a bit of girl time, do you mind terribly?"

"Uh, no, of course not," he responded, taken aback.

"Great. We'll meet you back at the house at around seven, then?"

"Sure. I guess I'll just run some errands…" He looked a bit skeptical as to why they might want to get rid of him, but he wasn't about to deny their request.

"Alright. See you later!" Ophelia said energetically, pulling Elise away by her wrist. The other girl, who appeared to be rather dazed, haphazardly raised her hand in a feeble attempt to wave goodbye to an equally confused Caspian.

"Where are we going?" Elise asked dully.

"Window shopping."

"Why?"

"Wouldn't you like to spend some time together before you leave forever?

I just thought it'd be nice…"

"Yes of course! But why does Caspian need to be gone?"

"Well, I can't have you spending the entire time ogling him and pretending to be annoyed by his taunting. Honestly, the flirtation that goes on between the two of you is enough to make a girl sick…"

"Oh, stop! You're exaggerating – I do nothing of the sort."

"'Oh shut it, Caspian, you're not funny!'" she mimicked in an absurd falsetto.

"I do _not_ sound like that!" Elise protested.

"Yes, you do. And you should see the way he looks at you when you talk – in the name of Aslan, you'd think you were explaining the meaning of life."

"Does he really? I've never noticed…"

"Of _course_ you've never noticed. That's the way it always goes." She paused for a moment, before continuing, "So, have you at least kissed him yet?"

"_What?_"

"Honestly, Elise, do I really need to repeat myself?"

"I'm not having this conversation."

"So you have, then."

"_No_, I have not, if you _must_ know. Not even close. Well, once on the cheek, but that doesn't count. Why would you even ask that?"

"Well, you sure look like you want to…"

"I do _not_."

"You don't? Why? He's quite attractive… Heck, _I_ want to…"

"I meant I don't look like I want to."

"So you _do_ want to, then?"

"No! Well, I mean, gah – why are you so annoying today?"

She sighed deeply. "I _do_ miss the castle. It was so much more interesting. All I've got now it you two, any you're terribly boring, to be quite frank. I mean, you get so worked up at even the suggestion of a little kiss – you'd be absolutely scandalized if you knew what went on amongst the other nobles."

"Was Caspian ever seen doing anything?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

"Oh no, never. All he does is work. There have been attempts by others, mind you – numerous ones. But he's never interested. He's very dull, under that handsome exterior. I mean, what's the point of looking like that if you're not going to do anything with it?"

Elise smiled slightly despite herself; she was glad (and relieved) to hear that he was above the debauchery of his hormone-driven peers.

"They say he had a bit of a fling with Queen Susan, but I was never around for that. Although, they _did_kiss in front of everyone before she had to leave Narnia. It was all very shocking, at the time; literally everyone in Telmar was there, plus Aslan and the other Kings and Queens of Old."

Her heart sunk. She knew that he'd had a romance with Susan, but the confirmation of this fact still stung a bit. But her disappointment was utterly irrational – she'd had flings, too. How could she be hurt by something that had happened before they'd even known each other? It was entirely unreasonable.

_(Later that night…)_

After dinner, Elise went to sleep on the floor of Mercedes' (and now Ophelia's) bedroom. Caspian slept on the sofa.

As she lay there, waiting to fall asleep, she reminisced about the past few days. Although Elise had been reluctant to admit it, she did indeed have fun roaming Mareisola with Ophelia. There was something about their friendship that was surprisingly normal and mundane, which, given the circumstances, was quite an achievement. Their relationship felt nearly the same as her friendships at home had felt. Well, when she'd had the luxury of having friends, that is. When the war started she'd have to give them up, just like she would have to give Ophelia up the next day.

The next day. Just then it set in – they were parting ways, forever. Indeed, the next day would be torture.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter XIV**

The sun shone brightly through the small window in Ophelia and Mercedes' bedroom. It was a beautiful day.

By the time Elise was awake, the room was utterly empty. She was alone, as alone as she felt. She heard voices downstairs and surmised that the others had been up for a while. She made a vain attempt to conquer her knotted and tangled mane, before shoving her belongs in her knapsack. This was it.

As she turned around to walk through the door, she saw Caspian leaning in the entryway.

"Are you coming down?" he asked somberly.

"Yeah, I was just getting my things together," she replied, walking towards him.

"Alright." There was a thick silence in the air, before he put his hand out in an offer to carry her bag for her.

She was doing fine. She wasn't crying. She was going to be able to keep it together.

They reached the stairs, and it hit her: no, she wasn't. She crumbled at the top step and buried her face in her knees. But the tears would not come, they would not come because she would not let them – she was strong.

But the back of her throat burned and she could feel a telltale sensation in her eyes.

Caspian slunk beside her; he knew exactly how she felt. He had been in her position only a few years ago, and he understood completely how difficult it was. He put his arm around her – something he seemed to be doing quite often as of late – and soothed, "It's all right. It will be all right."

She sniffed lightly and said, "I know. I'm okay." That was all she needed. Just a bit of comfort. He was right – in time, everything would be fine.

She pulled herself together and stood once again. After brushing off the front of her skirt and taking a deep breath, she was able to face the rest of the household. She turned to look at Caspian, who was staring at her in concern. His eyes searched hers and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm fine," she said resolutely. "Honest."

"Let's go, then," he replied quietly, "I told the boatman that we'd be there in a half hour."

"Alright."

When they reached the bottom of the staircase, the Rosecrans family was waiting for them.

Before she knew what was happening, Adora was loading her up with a pile of different foods.

"You two are going to need the energy," she explained.

"Thank you," Elise replied, smiling graciously. Her eyes darted to meet Ophelia's; she looked equally downtrodden.

"I'll walk you down to the dock," she said despondently.

They made their way to the waterfront in silence. No one knew quite what to say, and the two girls were afraid that if they started talking they might burst into tears. The whole thing was very precarious.

Caspian left them to help load their things (including a slightly perturbed Xanthus and Rex) onto the boat.

Elise turned to Ophelia and said, "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too," the other girl replied, bringing her friend into a hug.

"I'll never forget you," she said, tears unconsciously spilling from her eyes.

"And I you."

Eventually, they pulled apart. Caspian had returned and was standing by Elise's side. "We should be going," he said. "Goodbye, Ophelia. Perhaps our paths will cross once again."

Ophelia nodded sadly as they walked away and called, "Goodbye! Stay safe!"

Elise turned around and waved, before wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Caspian dutifully guided her onto the boat.

Together, they watched Ophelia's silhouette grow smaller and smaller from the railing. Suddenly, something dawned on Elise; "We never helped her find a job!" she said, slightly panicked.

"They won't need to worry about that," he said dismissively.

"What do you mean?"

"I left them a bit of a parting gift…" he answered ambiguously.

It took her a couple of seconds to realize what he was talking about, but when she understood, she said, "You did?"

He simply nodded.

"That was very kind of you." Her sentences were short, blunt – she didn't sound like herself.

He shrugged; "It was the least I could do." He looked down at her sadly and asked, "Are you sure you're all right?"

"No," she squeaked, shaking her head. "But I will be." She finally met his gaze; he was looking at her with a foreign sort of adoration in his eyes. She felt like she was on the brink of kissing him, so she quickly started speaking to prevent it from happening. "You're a good person, Caspian," she said. "I don't know how you do it. You're just so kind – to everyone."

He smiled timidly and said, "I think you're exaggerating a bit. There are many people who would disagree with you, that's for sure."

"No, I'm not exaggerating. Honestly, think about it. What if someone else had been King? What if I'd come a few years earlier and it'd been your uncle? I'd probably be rotting in a cell somewhere, or worse, dead."

"Okay, well, it's lucky it was me, I'll give you that. But where's all this coming from?"

"I was just thinking. Remembering, really. I've been very fortunate since I've been here. Meeting you. Meeting Ophelia. I didn't even have friends like this at home. God, I'm going to miss her so much."

"I know that if feels terrible now, Elise, but I promise you that it will get better."

"I know, I know, you keep saying that," she sniffed.

She leant against him and he automatically enveloped her in his arms. She might have imagined it, but she could have sworn that she felt him place a soft kiss on the top of her head. If she hadn't been so miserable, she might have been nervous. But somehow, all that seemed childish and insignificant now. She needed to grow up.

After only about twenty minutes, they arrived at the other side of the river. They were still in Mareisola, apparently.

"The town stretches to either side," Caspian explained. "There's a tiny village not too far from here. We'll probably arrive by dark, and we can stay there tonight. We're getting very close to the mountains."

The latter bit sounded very ominous. "The mountains?" she questioned.

"That's the last part of Narnia that's charted. Beyond that, we're completely on our own." He sounded slightly anxious, and she imagined that if even _he_was worried, she ought to be too.

"Oh. So you don't know what to expect, then?"

"No idea. But before we reach the mountains, you'll see the climate change as we get closer. It's going to be cold. And we won't be able to take the horses with us."

"This sounds pretty dangerous," she commented, trying to make light of the situation.

"It is," he replied straightforwardly, "We're going to need a lot of supplies. Totally different supplies from what we've been using so far."

"How long is it going to take for us to get there?"

"Well, we're going to be moving straight west. But we're probably just over halfway there, by now. Halfway to the mountains, that is. I don't know how far we'll have to travel to get to the Sorcerer."

Elise stayed silent for a moment, pondering her situation. She sure was going through a lot of effort to get home.

"What's happened to me back in my world?" she asked abruptly. "Did I simply disappear?"

"I can honestly say that I haven't a clue," he replied, somewhat caught off guard by the randomness of her question.

"I can't believe this actually happening. This is all too crazy to be real."

Caspian, at a loss for words, simply remained quiet.

_(Later…)_

Somehow, they had fallen behind schedule. The sun had set and a thick fog had descended on the countryside; they still hadn't reached the village.

Caspian seemed a bit apprehensive; Elise and Xanthus were lagging behind somewhat, and he called, "Stay close. We're nearing the outskirts of the town."

"So?" she asked.

"The people who dwell on the outskirts are the ones who aren't allowed inside," he explained urgently.

She quickly saw what he meant; there were shacks – not even shacks, _tents_ – starting to line the pathway. "Stay. Close," he hissed again. This time she obeyed him more readily. The whole atmosphere was very seedy, and she was beginning to feel genuinely frightened.

People heard them. Men. Big, burly, scary men. They wandered out onto the sides of the pathway and watched in silence as Elise and Caspian slowly passed through. Their eyes were glued to them. Like vultures. _Leering_ at them. Some of them even had the audacity to sharpen daggers or pick their teeth. It was repulsive, really.

They were focused mainly on Elise. The whole thing was rather unnerving, but it didn't rise to the peak of its eeriness until one of them spoke.

"Oi there, love," he harped, "whatcha doin' out here?"

"Just ignore them," Caspian whispered, "The best course of action is to just ignore them. Don't even make eye contact. _Especially_don't make eye contact, on second thought."

But the jeering did not cease.

"Why don'tcha come on down off that high horse of yours and we can have us a little chat?" Barks of consensus followed.

"Ey mate," one said, addressing to Caspian for the fist time, "don't be selfish. Share 'er with us."

The King clenched his jaw, tilted his chin up, and fixed his eyes straight ahead.

"Don' you two know that it's _rude_ not to answer someone when they're talkin' to ya?"

A small crowd had begun to walk alongside them, but they were not close enough to make any physical contact. However, their tones were growing angrier and more frustrated.

One man finally stepped forward and grabbed at Caspian's coattails. This prompted a response: "We just want to be on our way," he started, keeping his gaze locked directly in front of him, "We don't want any trouble." His voice was calm, but it was a forced calm; Elise could tell that he was trying hard to keep his temper in check.

"Ya hear that boys? Says 'e don't want any trouble. What makes you think, sonny, that you can talk to us like that? You think you're better than us common folk, with your fancy 'orses and your nice garb and your pretty little wife?"

They'd gotten it all wrong, but Elise decided that it was better not to say anything than correct their mistake. The pair tried to speed up the gait of their horses, but men were now standing in front of them as well. There were probably about seven or so of them.

"And my, my," he continued, stroking her clothed ankle, "is she pretty. The _things_we could do with 'er, am I right?" Whoops of agreement and excitement. It was that night at the castle all over again.

This set Caspian off. "Enough!" he roared, finally snapping his head down to look at them, "We _just_want to make it into town. But if you touch her one more time, I swear – "

"Do you hear that!" the leader yelled in amusement, "'e _swears_, does 'e? Look at yourself, _boy_," he continued, his tone turning venomous, "you don't honestly think you can fight me, do ya? I'd 'ave taken you for a pompous chap, maybe, but not stupid."

"You'd best not be making threats," he growled, drawing his sword in a flash.

"Oh, looks like we've got a _valiant_one 'ere. Tryin' to protect your little whore's honor, are ye?"

"I said, _enough_," he hissed icily.

"C'mon," Elise said, speaking up for the first time, "Let's just go." She prodded Xanthus to move faster once again; the only difference was, this time she didn't have the courtesy to try not to hurt the men in front of her. They plowed through, with Caspian following close behind. Although, he looked like he very much wanted to teach those men a lesson.

Once they had reverted back to their normal pace, it became exceedingly clear that he was still seething.

"Just let it go," she said dispassionately.

"If they had known who I was..."

"Well, that wasn't exactly an option, was it? Plus, fighting them wouldn't have been worth it. We did the right thing."

He grunted in assent; he knew she was right, but the thought of those men touching her still made his blood boil. It affected him so much, in fact, that he was a bit surprised and startled by his own ferocity. Caspian may have been hotheaded, but he could proudly say that he very rarely let his temper get the best of him; and he was not about to have that change.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter XV**

"I don't like this place," Elise mumbled once they'd made it into the main part of town.

Her sentiments were entirely understandable: the surroundings were hardly any better than they had been on the outskirts, and the unsettling fog that blanketed the land had yet to dissipate.

"I'm going to have to agree with you," Caspian responded distractedly.

"I don't want to sleep here," she said, shaking her head resolutely to signal her discomfort.

"Elise, we don't exactly have any other options…"

"But it's _creepy_! We should have spent another night at Ophelia's…"

"You know that wouldn't have made a difference… It's going to hurt no matter what."

She stayed in a sulking silence – she hated it when he was right about these things.

"Oh, Caspian," she said finally, "where are we going to stay?"

"I don't know," he replied carefully, "But I'm sure we'll find _somewhere_."

She was a bit wary of his assertion; the town seemed a bit dead, to be entirely honest, and the sun had just set and already the streets were empty. There was something very unsettling about the whole thing.

"And just how," she asked, "do you intend to do that? It doesn't look as if anyone's here at all."

"There _has_ to be someplace we can go," he murmured more to himself than to Elise.

"We can't very well just walk into someone's house."

He grinned at her in a way that made her very nervous, in a bad way. He was up to something. He dismounted his horse, and she unthinkingly followed his example.

"Why not?" he asked mischievously.

"You can't be serious…"

"Oh, believe me, I am. It's not _that_late." With that, he rapped harshly on the nearest door.

A withered, pallid old woman answered. "May I help you?"

Caspian's rebellious spirit seemed to have been squelched by the feebleness of the home's resident – Elise wagered he'd been expecting a man like the ones they'd seen earlier.

"Uh, hello, ma'am. We were wondering where we might find the nearest inn."

"Where are you from?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Telmar," he replied tentatively, "Why?"

"We don' get many outsiders around here," she stated. At this, Elise shuffled closer to Caspian – they were undoubtedly not welcome in this area.

"Yes, well, we're just passing through, you see. We'll be gone in the morning. We just need a place to spend the night," he explained.

"We haven't got any inns here. There's an old abandoned cottage down the way. I suppose you could stay there, if you must. You won't be botherin' anyone. Its previous inhabitants passed away years ago, come to think of it."

"Why hasn't anyone taken it over?" Elise asked uneasily.

The woman let out a harsh cackle; "Dunno, love. Maybe it's _haunted_."

Caspian resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but Elise was clearly disturbed by this information. He shot her a look that was meant to assure her that the woman was simply a bit loony, but she remained unconvinced.

"Thank you, madam," he said, bowing his head slightly.

"You'd do well to leave by mornin'," she warned, "before the others realize that you're here." She then proceeded to slam the door as they walked off. So much for not drawing attention to themselves…

"There aren't _really_ any ghosts here, right, Caspian?" Elise demanded mutedly, clutching his arm almost painfully.

"No," he stated bluntly, "I don't know what in the hell that was, but there must be something in the water here… I'll order some scientific research to be done on this town when w – _I_ return to the palace." He hoped she hadn't noticed his slip-up.

They eventually reached the cottage and tied their horses up outside. He then pushed the cracked, wooden door open carefully – he didn't know what could be lurking inside…

There was some scattering and he took out Edmund's trusty flashlight: mice. Loads of them. And not like Reepicheep, either – they were just regular, run-of-the-mill mice. However, upon seeing him, many of them scuttled out the door, much to Elise's dismay. She clutch the fabric of Caspian's sleeve as she woefully inspected the rest of the room. There was grass pushing through the wide floorboards and vines creeping between the stones in the walls. Yes, the space was without a doubt abandoned and uninhabited.

It was quite small, with only a kitchen, a main room, and what appeared to have been a bedroom. In the kitchen, there was a large hearth that Caspian immediately began to light. After a bit of coaxing, he was able to establish a large fire.

"Are you _sure_that there are no ghosts," she prodded. She knew that she was becoming a bit of a nuisance, but she found it hard to believe that there were megarachnids and not ghosts.

"No, I'm not. But I have yet to ever cross paths with one, if that makes you feel any better. They're not supposed to exist."

"Although," he added thoughtfully, "Narnia _is_full of surprises." He smirked at her devilishly, awaiting her reaction.

"Well, if we do meet one," she said evenly, "I'll be sure to offer you as a sacrifice."

He laughed before replying, "That's not very nice," as he wagged a finger at her disapprovingly.

She shrugged and simply stated, "Survival of the fittest, as they say." However, she couldn't keep up her callous charade and eventually broke into a smile.

This was the first time she'd showed any happiness since they had left Ophelia, and Caspian swelled with pride, to have finally succeeded in cheering her up. To be fair, though, she hadn't exactly had the best of days, in more respect than one; he usually found her to be quite agreeable.

Agreeable? Had he really just mentally used that word? No, she was much more than agreeable – she was brilliant. He'd truly, irrevocably, and regrettably grown attached to her. Why was it, he never ceased to wonder, that everyone he cared about had to be taken from him? Was he that unlucky? Did Aslan dislike him that much?

And the worst part was, he had noticed the whole thing happening – he'd consciously watched their relationship take shape and he had done nothing to stop it. Maybe he couldn't have stopped it, even if he wanted to, but he hadn't even tried. And now, now he was helpless. Helplessness, as he saw it, was the absolute worst feeling in the world. Worse than sadness, worse than physical pain.

He had been helpless in his parents' deaths and helpless in the Pevensies' banishment, and he swore that he would never experience such an awful emotion ever again – he was King, after all – he made the rules. He took the greatest precautions anyone could take to ensure that he would never feel helpless again. And yet, here he was.

"What are you thinking about?" Elise asked. She had been staring at him curiously – it wasn't like him to become so engulfed in his own musings.

"Nothing," he lied, "Just the voyage."

She wasn't satisfied with his answer, but, if he didn't want to tell her, that was his own prerogative.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash in the other room. She leapt up in terror and practically flew into Caspian's arms.

"What was that?" she hissed.

He gravely pressed his finger to his lips in attempt to silence her and withdrew his sword. He tiptoed towards the foyer area and kept his left arm outstretched, pushing Elise behind him. She retrieved her own sword as well, but fearfully hung by his side.

However, when they reached the room, there was nothing there.

"Caspian, what if there really are ghosts?" she whined.

All of a sudden, something seemed to click.

"I should have known," he muttered disappointedly.

"Should have known? Should have known what?" she questioned in panic.

"No time to explain. Get your things – we have to leave, _immediately_."

Now thoroughly terrified, she dashed back to haphazardly collect their belongings. But her efforts were in vain; she let out a shriek as she came face-to-face with the old woman they had met before.

In response, Caspian raced back to see what was the matter.

"Hello again, deary," she said.

"Get away from her!" he commanded.

"What's going on?" Elise whimpered.

"They're not ghosts," he started worriedly, "No, no, no, they're not ghosts – they're _vampires_."

"Very good, boy," she said, "A bit slow on the uptake, though."

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, "You know your kind is not allowed in my – here."

"In your what?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Why are you here?" he reiterated, ignoring her inquiry, "You're a _long_way from Calormen."

"Yes, well, it got a bit dull over there. And what better place to take our hunger than the wretched _Narnia_?"

"'Our'?"

"Oh, yes, you didn't think it was just me, did you?" Just then, three others – two men and a woman – materialized beside her. They all appeared to be very elderly.

"You killed off this entire town," he said in realization.

"Yes," she said disinterestedly, "we did. Long ago. And, as you can probably tell, our old friends back there get most of the _business_. Usually, people don't make it into the town itself, but I guess they were feelin' generous today. We _are_ very lucky, we haven't eaten in _ages_."

"Don't get your hopes up," he growled. In a flash, he had grabbed Elise's wrist and hauled her out of the cottage.

He practically threw her onto her horse, before hopping onto his own. But they were not fast enough.

"Where do you think you're going?" the old woman screeched. Her voice had become so discordant that Elise actually had to cover her ears. Xanthus and Rex reared in dismay.

"You don't think we're going to let you get away?" taunted a skeletal man with a long white beard, "You don't know how long it's been since we've fed – we're starving."

"Not my problem," Caspian said dismissively, plunging his sword through the man's chest. Black blood spilled from the wound as he let out a grating wail.

"You have to get them in the heart," he instructed, "It's the only way to kill them."

The death of their comrade only further enraged the other three, and they lunged dangerously at their prey. Elise swung her sword wildly and slashed the remaining man across the chest, and Caspian was able to kill one of the women. However, the leader remained intact.

He had now moved from defensive to offensive; the woman, who appeared to have given up, ran back towards her house. He galloped up behind her and wedged his blade through her back. He pulled the weapon out ruthlessly, and saw that Elise had defeated her attacker as well. However, where he remained calm and stoic, she appeared to be irreparably shaken.

He rode alongside her and quietly suggested, "Let's get out of here."

She nodded her head vigorously in consensus; in a single day, she had had enough excitement to last her an entire lifetime.

"I – I can't believe I killed him," she stuttered, horrified.

"You didn't have any other choice. They're not human – they're evil. Pure evil. It's nothing to feel guilty over."

"Yes, but – I mean, they were just trying to survive…"

"Elise," he said harshly, trying to bring her back to reality, "there were _children_ in that town. They – their families – _everyone_ was massacred. Those – those _things_ deserved worse than what we did to them."

She nodded dumbly, somewhat frightened by his ferocity – she'd always known that he had a bit of a temper, but this was a different side of him – a cold, cruel side of him – that she was witnessing for the first time. And she didn't like it, but she knew it was necessary. She knew that he had a good heart. It was as certain as the sky was blue (which seemed to be a constant even in Narnia). And she cared about him deeply – beyond the point of simple infatuation, though she would never admit it – she couldn't afford to.

He noticed a change in her demeanor and asked – much more kindly this time: "Hey, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," she said dismissively, turning her face away from him.

"I know you're lying."

She looked at him sadly and sighed, "It's nothing, okay?"

But he understood as soon as he looked into her eyes; "I'm sorry," he said remorsefully, "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's fine," she answered curtly. And with that, they rode through the rest of the night in silence.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter XVI**

Elise was tired – exhausted, really. They'd travelled through the entire night, and it was now mid-morning and she still hadn't gotten even a wink of sleep. Caspian was fatigued as well, to be sure, but Elise was practically falling asleep on her horse.

After she dozed off and shook herself awake for what seemed like the millionth time, he decided that it was time to stop.

He was still a bit unnerved by the spat they'd had.

When they'd reached a pasture area, he stopped and climbed down from his horse.

"What's going on?" Elise mumbled drowsily, her eyes half closed.

"I think it's time we stop," he stated, speaking to her for the first time since their altercation.

However, she didn't appear to register his response and continued to be taken aimlessly to wherever Xanthus desired. Caspian stopped the horse and started to help her down, which turned into him more or less carrying her to the nearest tree, where she could sleep in the shade.

"I'm sorry I was difficult last night," she said sonorously, "I was just in a foul mood."

"It's all right," he replied, smirking at her behavior, "you don't need to apologize. Anyway, I think it's time you get some rest," he suggested.

"Mmph," was her reply. She was way ahead of him on that one.

Unfortunately for him, though (or fortunately, if you dug deep enough into his psyche), she had settled herself fixedly against his body, effectively trapping him. Taking this as a sign of forgiveness, he relaxed and shut his eyes as well.

_(Several hours later…)_

Elise awoke to find herself plastered to Caspian, with both her arms wrapped around one of his and her head lying squarely against his shoulder. Luckily, he was still asleep, allowing her embarrassment to remain private. He was not without fault, though, for his hand was rested comfortably upon her bent knee; they were a tangle of limbs. At the sight of this, she involuntarily smiled to herself. Perhaps he truly did feel for her the same way she felt for him.

However, she quickly shook such thoughts from her head. It didn't matter, she reminded herself, what either of them felt. _I just wish more than anything that he could come with me_, she mused. But that was out of the question. She knew it was – he had a kingdom to lead.

She sighed pitifully and wove her hand through his. She was falling for him; she wouldn't say that actual word – not even in her head – but she was falling for him.

This action seemed to awaken him, and he stirred quietly. He opened his eyes drowsily, but seemed to fully come around once he saw Elise's blue orbs staring at him.

"How long have you been awake?" he questioned.

"Not long, only a couple minutes."

His gaze wandered down to their hands, and she pulled away embarrassedly.

"Shall we get going, then?" she asked in an attempt to distract him. For a brief moment, he seemed pleased, rather than self-conscious.

"Yeah." He whistled sharply, and Xanthus and Rex came prancing over to them.

The conversation ended on that note, and the pair climbed back onto their horses and continued their trek to the mountains.

The following two days were uneventful; they passed through a town (which, luckily, hadn't been infiltrated by the vampires) and picked up supplies, but they did not stay long.

Elise had begun to notice – as Caspian said she would – the climate becoming colder, despite the fact that they were not moving north. She now sported a long coat, which they had picked up from a street vendor in one of the towns.

Soon, they had reached the last town on their scheduled route. The next thing they had to face was hiking the mountains.

"It's probably going to be the most difficult part," Caspian explained. They were walking through the dusty rural streets, on their way to pick up supplies. "Although," he continued, "I don't know what to expect beyond that. It could be much worse than the mountains, actually…"

Elise looked at him in alarm.

"Or," he amended hurriedly, "it could be nothing at all. There's no way of knowing, really."

"I hardly think it's going to be easy," she reasoned.

"Yes, but the mountains could just be there as a test of our will… I find it's best to stay optimistic about these sorts of things…"

"Oh really? That's what you _find_, is it? I'm not stupid, Caspian. I can tell when you're worried. And right now you are most _definitely_ worried about whatever it is that we're going to be facing."

"Well, _excuse me_ for trying to stay positive," he said peevishly.

She smiled slightly; "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to come off like that. I know you're just saying those things for my own benefit."

"Exactly. You need to learn to just trust me, Ellie. You know I'd never lead you astray," he said, trying to keep the atmosphere light.

She stared at him blankly. "What did you just call me?" she demanded.

"Ellie?" he said uncertainly, backtracking. "What, you don't like it?"

"No – no, it's not that. It's just, I mean, that's what Robbie used to call me."

"Oh." That wasn't the answer he was expecting.

"It's all right, I just didn't think I'd ever be called that here."

"Think of it this way," he started, "in only a few days, you'll be hearing his voice once more."

She smiled sadly; somehow, that prospect didn't sound nearly as inviting as it should have.

They spent the night in a tavern, which also doubled as an inn. Over the course of their travels, Elise had noticed that the inhabitants of the towns had grown increasingly rugged; dining in the tavern only served to further solidify this theory. It was filled with men and women adorned in heaps of multicolored furs and thick animal-skin boots (outfits, Caspian assured her, that they would soon be donning themselves).

In terms of scenery, a light dusting of snow now powdered the frozen terrain, and they could see the hulking, looming mountains from the window.

Caspian's voice roused her from her reverie: "We're going to need climbing supplies, a new tent, and warmer clothes," he stated, following line of sight.

"And just how are we going to carry all this?" she asked.

"On our backs… The heaviest thing we'll have to worry about is the tent, and I'll carry that. You should be fine."

Elise pursed her lips and nodded distractedly. Tomorrow. They would start climbing tomorrow. It was surreal: they'd been building up to this moment for over a month, and they had finally made it.

But this was just the beginning, really. There was no knowing how long it would take them to reach the Sorcerer; it could be days, or could be months. The worst part of the whole thing was the uncertainty – if they were going to have to slay some horrific beast, she would at least like to know in advance. But, unfortunately, they had no such luxury; what lay in store for them remained an enigma.

Neither slept well that night. Their preoccupation with the upcoming trip proved to be too much to balance with a good night's sleep. When they set out the next morning, with their masses of equipment and ridiculously weatherproof attire, both feared the worst.

Elise, shaking with anticipation as opposed to chill, stayed very close to Caspian at all times.

"You know," she said lightly, determined to put her mind at ease, "even if this doesn't work out, we've had a good run."

"Doesn't work out?" he asked, "In what sense? I hope you don't mean what I think you do…"

"I'm just trying to be realistic – what are the odds that this is going to go smoothly? Very low, I should think."

"Well, with that attitude, you may be right."

"I'm not trying to be pessimistic," she insisted, "I'm merely pointing out that what we've accomplished so far is a feat in and of itself."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

Pretty soon, they'd reached the base of the mountain – there was a trail, luckily for them, but it only went about halfway up the towering landmass. And the new influx of snow that had begun to fall worked against their benefit as well. For the most part, they were on their own.

Caspian had never climbed the mountains before, and yet he was leading them. Elise wasn't sure how she felt about this fact – true, she trusted him. She trusted him with her life. She knew that he would never deliberately lead her into a situation that was unsafe (if it could be avoided, that is). But, in this case, he didn't even seem to trust himself.

"What if we get separated from one another?" she asked abruptly.

"That won't happen," he dismissed.

"But what if it does?"

He sighed unhappily; "Listen, Elise, if that _does_happen, I want you to turn back. Go back to the town and try to arrange some way to get back to Telmar. I didn't want to tell you this before because I didn't want you to worry, but I told Cornelius what to do in a worst-case scenario. You'll be provided for back at the castle and eventually another group will set out to find the Sorcerer, but they'll go without you. If _we_can't make it, I don't know how they will. But if they do, they'll come back and get you. If the _don't,_then I'm afraid you might be stuck here. At least until Aslan decides to reveal himself, which may not be too far in the future."

The thought of having to stay in Narnia without Caspian appalled her; she bluntly replied, "I can't be here without you."

"Well, this is just in case there isn't any other choice. Believe me, I'm not going to willingly leave you – there's no point in fretting over it. You need to worry about yourself; this is dangerous for the both of us."

In a sudden spurt of affection, she hugged him tightly. Initially, he stood rigid in surprise, but eventually reciprocated her actions. "What's all this about?" he asked bemusedly.

"I don't know – I just felt like I needed to do that. Think of it as a thank you for all you've done for me thus far."

"Alright…" he replied tentatively. He didn't why she was acting so sentimental all of a sudden, but what he certainly did know was that he didn't like it – it quite unnerved him, to be entirely truthful. However, this was absolutely not to say that he didn't enjoy being the object of her affection; on the contrary, he could say with regrettable confidence that he _thoroughly_enjoyed it. But that was beside the point.

"Let's just go," he said in a lame attempt to end the conversation; his efforts were successful, for they soon were travelling towards their destination with increased fervor and determination.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter XVII**

The shallow layer of snow that had once dusted the ground had given way to a much deeper (ankle-deep, to be precise), colder, wetter sheet of the substance. Its beauty had worn off as quickly as it fell, and now it was nothing more than an icy nuisance.

"It's only going to get worse from here," Elise complained.

"Which is why," Caspian countered, "we brought snowshoes."

"Yes, but if it snows again – as is surely will – it will be too soft to use them."

He turned around briefly to glare at her in exasperation, only to see her tiptoeing delicately in his footprints. His aggravation, much to his dismay, quickly dissipated. He had to admit, even in her current annoying state, he couldn't stay frustrated with her. And the fact that the snow highlighted her rosy cheeks, pink lips, and bright blue eyes might have helped to quell his irritation as well… He felt of surge of something startling pass through his body, but he steadfastly ignored it.

"No it won't, that's the whole point of them," he replied keeping his tone even.

She shot the back of his head an un-amused glance – completely unaware of her sudden effect on him – but didn't press the matter further.

That night, just as Elise had prophesized, it snowed even more. After they had dug themselves out of their tent, they collected what they could of their equipment – inevitably, though, some of it had been hopelessly lost in the vast sea of white.

They then put on their snowshoes, which – just as Caspian had prophesized – worked quite well. Elise would have apologized for doubting him, but her pride prevented her from doing so.

As they began their midday, hour-long break, Elise announced, "I'm sick of this."

"Of what? The snow?"

"No – well, yes, that too. But that's not what I meant. I'm sick of this mood. We used to have such good fun, ever since we left Mareisola it's been awful."

"I hardly think I'm to blame for that," he protested, "_You're_the one who's become the queen of sulking, not me."

"Don't pin this all on me! You're the _king_ of brooding – literally."

"I don't expect you to understand what goes on in my mind," he said bluntly with a ridiculous air of superiority.

"Fine, but that doesn't exactly excuse it. And you're giving me much less credit than is due – I'm not an idiot, I know why you're upset."

"Really, why is that then?"

"Because I'm leaving."

"Perhaps I _was_ wrong about the sulking thing – you're _clearly_ the queen of narcissism."

"No, listen – you're angry that I'm leaving after what happened with the Pevensies and all that. And you're afraid that after me there might be someone else, and then you'll have to go through this whole thing all over again."

"Shut up," he said irritably. However, he punctuated the fact that his comment was in jest when he tossed a clump of snow at her.

She initially squeaked in surprise, but was swift in her retaliation. Soon, they had entered a full-out brawl, with both of them throwing snow wildly at the other. Caspian tossed a particularly large chunk, and, unfortunately for her, it came in direct contact with her face.

"You're going to pay for that," she warned in what she hoped was a menacing voice.

She failed miserably, and he couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter at her tactlessness. Angered by his not taking her seriously, she sprang into action and bulldozed him to the ground. Or tried, to, at least. She wasn't strong enough, and he was able to reverse their positions as soon as her arm collided with his midsection.

However, she wouldn't give up the struggle and fought against his grip. Eventually, they were reduced to the ground. Elise was able to gain the upper hand for a time window of about ten seconds, which was just enough to allow her to pin him down and cover his face in snow. They didn't notice it at the time, but they were actually in quite a compromising position.

The fit of laughter that this resulted in, to her later chagrin, gave him the opportunity to flip them over so that she was the one being pinned down. Again, a compromising position. Caspian was about to smother her face in snow in retribution, but he decided to be merciful at the last minute; she was still laughing – truly laughing.

He grinned and took a moment to admire the now-rare sight of her amusement. After a while, she grew quiet and they were left smiling stupidly at each other.

Suddenly, she was aware of his hands burning into her upper arms. She squirmed a bit, but not out of discomfort – he quickly released her so that his hands were now spread out on the ground beside her.

"We should go," he said, not moving an inch.

"Mhm," she agreed half-heartedly. She had no intention of getting up either.

Slowly, his face began to move closer to hers; more specifically, his lips began to move closer to hers. Soon, she could feel his warm breath on her face, a nice departure from the frigid air that she was now used to experiencing.

She was frozen in place out of anticipation, and she could hear her own heart thundering loudly. He seemed very unsure, so she fixed her gaze decidedly on his mouth to indicate her approval of his course of action.

Suddenly, however, to her great disappointment, his head jerked up quickly and he tore his eyes away from her face.

"Do you hear that?" he asked distractedly.

"Hear what?" she replied in confusion. She strained her ears to listen, and she was able to detect a faint rumbling sound. "What is that?" she demanded worriedly.

He shot up and pulled her along with him. "We need to get out of here," he instructed urgently.

He guided them to an area where there were a few trees, but, before they were able to reach any of them, Elise looked to the horizon and saw a wall of snow tumbling towards them. The faint rumbling sound had now escalated to a crashing ruckus.

"We need to find something to hold on to!" Caspian yelled above the din.

However, snow from the beginning of the avalanche had already engulfed them, and they were now waist-deep. Even worse, her grasp in his hand was slipping. In a flash, they were forced apart and Elise was swept further down the mountain. She fought in a sort of swimming motion to remain above ground, and eventually the mass of snow brought her near a tree.

Recognizing this as a vital opportunity, she seized one of the branches and dragged herself to the trunk. She wrapped her arms around it for dear life, and turned her face away from the top of the mountain, anticipating even more tsunamis of snow. She squeezed her eyes and mouth shut.

After what seemed like an eternity, the chaos subsided.

She dug herself out from her predicament; only the tops of the trees were visible amongst the sheet of pure white.

She had been carried a long ways down from where they were originally. She narrowed her eyes and sharply examined her surroundings; small objects speckled the ground.

But Caspian, her primary concern, was nowhere to be seen. She needed to find him.

He was fine. She was sure he was fine. He couldn't _not_be fine.

As Elise grew close enough to identify the imperfections marring the ground, she realized that it was their camping equipment, which had been churned up in the commotion.

But she didn't care much about that.

"Caspian!" she shouted. There was no response, and her own voice echoed back mockingly.

She picked up his backpack and continued her ascension up the mountain, calling his name the whole way.

But there was never any answer.

After about five minutes of this, panic set in. She needed to find him. She desperately needed to find him. She would scour the whole mountainside, if she had to.

Only when her legs had grown numb and buckled under her on their own accord did she finally stop. She hugged her knees close to her chest and continued yelling for Caspian. Eventually, her shouts turned to pleas, which then turned to cries, and subsequently sobs.

It would be getting dark soon. She could freeze to death. More importantly, _he_could freeze to death, wherever he was. She rummaged through his bag, but was only able to procure a map, a bit of stale bread, Edmund's flashlight, and Susan's horn.

Wait.

Susan's horn?

Maybe it didn't call back the Kings and Queens of Old anymore, but it was still a horn – it still made noise. Which meant that it was louder than her voice. Which meant that she might be able to reach Caspian with it.

This discovery was all the encouragement she needed to sound it immediately.

The noise was discordant and even louder than she expected; she only hoped that it wouldn't cause another avalanche.

"Please work…" she prayed.

She waited for a few minutes, but nothing happened. She tried again.

Still nothing.

Her mind eventually wandered back to what he had told her before – what he'd said about them getting separated. But she couldn't leave. She just couldn't. She'd rather die there waiting for him than live in Narnia without him.

She had never felt so utterly alone. And depressed. Perhaps if she did die she would simply go back to Whitford – that was always a possibility. And that was what she wanted, wasn't it? She buried her face in her hands – even _that_ wasn't clear anymore. She didn't want to live a life without Caspian in it. Whether that meant dying or not returning home, she didn't know.

"Hey!" she heard someone shout. It was a male voice, but it wasn't Caspian's; her head shot up in confusion.

"Who are you?" she yelled to the five distant figures approaching her.

All of a sudden, the shortest one exclaimed, "Ellie!" and began bounding towards her.

No, it wasn't – it couldn't be. She was hallucinating.

But as he got closer and closer, there was no denying that Robbie was there. In Narnia. In the mountains. In his navy wool jacket, wearing the cream scarf and mittens that she had knitted for him last year.

"Robbie?" she said weakly. She couldn't believe her eyes.

She stood, catching him in shock as he leapt into her arms. She buried her face in his shoulder, tears running down her face for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

"I can't believe it's you."

"It is Ellie, it really is! It was the most curious thing, though – I had to stay in for recess at school and I reached into my desk to get my grammar book and I fell in! The next thing I knew I was here, with these other people!"

By now, the four others had reached her as well.

"Who are you?" a tall blonde boy repeated, "Both of you."

"I'm Elise and this is my brother, Robbie," she said carefully. He appeared to be around her age, as did one of the girls by his side. She could tell by his accent that he was most definitely from England, and judging by their clothes, they were contemporaries.

"Who are _you_?" she demanded, clutching Robbie protectively.

"I'm Peter," he said, "and these are my siblings, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy."

Her eyes widened. "You're the Pevensies," she stated bluntly.

He lifted his chin and puffed out his chest regally – "Yes, yes we are."


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter XVIII**

"What are you doing in Narnia?" Edmund demanded without preamble.

"Was it _you_ who summoned us?" Lucy asked.

"Everyone just hold on a minute!" Peter exclaimed. "I'll ask the questions."

Elise, her head spinning from all the excitement, stayed silent and waited for Peter to commence his interrogation.

"First," he started, "were you indeed the one who called us?"

She bit her lip contemplatively – this was a bit of a tricky one. "Well, yes and no… I _did_ summon you I suppose, but not intentionally."

"What do you mean?"

"I blew the horn, but I didn't realize that it would bring you here – Caspian said you'd been banished. I just needed it to make a loud noise."

"Caspian?" Susan questioned fervently, her eyes lighting up, "Which one?"

"The tenth…" Elise didn't exactly wish to divulge this information – especially what with the way Susan's demeanor had changed and such – but she decided that she ought to gain their trust. She could sure use their help in locating the lost Telmarine king.

"Enough of that, Susan," Peter scolded. "Why did you need to make a loud noise?"

Her face instantly fell, as if she'd just remembered her horrible predicament. "I – there – there was an avalanche. It's really a long story… Caspian and I were trying to get to the other side of the mountain so that I could find the Red Sorcerer, who's supposed to help me get home. But an avalanche separated us and I can't – I can't find him… I thought – I thought maybe that the noise would signal him, but, as you can see, it didn't work… Why _are_you here?" she added. "Why were you brought back?"

"I can honestly say that I do not know," he replied.

"Ellie," Robbie blurted out, "who's Caspian? What's Narnia? I don't understand, what's going on?"

"Just think of it as one of my bedtime stories," she answered, "Except we're living it. That's all you really have to know, darling."

He crinkled his nose in dismay – "Don't call me that!" he protested.

Elise chuckled and said, "Sorry, I know how you hate it. But I just missed you so much!" She wrapped her arms around him once more and spun him in a small circle, her joy temporarily outweighing her fear for Caspian.

"Yeah, yeah, I missed you too… But don't get all mushy on me."

"Are you two related?" Lucy asked serenely.

"He's my brother," Elise explained.

She could have spoken with Robbie for hours, but they didn't have time to waste – they had to help Caspian.

Susan appeared to share these sentiments, and said, "I hate to interrupt, but you said Caspian might be in trouble?"

"Yes," the other girl replied, "I don't know where he is… It's been nearly an hour, and it's going to get dark soon. He doesn't have any equipment or anything, so I don't know how he'll get through the night – he's at risk for freezing, I'm afraid."

"We should be afraid for ourselves," Edmund pointed out, "We don't have any equipment either."

"Hush," Susan said, waving him off, "Caspian is our main priority at the moment."

"Where did you last see him?" Lucy asked sweetly, ignoring her siblings; she appeared to be the most lax of the group.

"I can't be sure," she explained, "I was carried down the mountain by the snow, but I don't know how far."

"Fair enough," Peter said, "We'll just keep climbing then. We ought to spread out in a horizontal line and sweep the area. But we need to stay in each others' sight, understood?"

The other three Pevensies nodded, and Elise found herself doing the same. Peter had a comforting sort of authoritative way about him, something that made others feel as though everything would be all right if they followed his instruction; clearly, he had an innate ability to lead.

She and Robbie walked closely beside one another, and she bundled him in her jacket after she noticed him shivering. He was asking many, many questions, and she explained the situation to him to the best of her ability.

She'd tried to ask him about life back home, but he wasn't having any of it – he was only interested in things pertaining to Narnia.

After about twenty minutes, the flame of hope was beginning to flicker. Caspian wouldn't survive the night if they didn't find him.

"What's the matter?" Robbie asked innocently, noticing her somberness.

"It's just – I hope Caspian's all right… I couldn't bear to think of something bad happening to him." She sounded as if she was on the verge of tears, which Robbie didn't fail to notice.

"Are you very good friends with him?"

"I suppose so… I mean, I'd like to think so."

"Do you fancy him?"

"Stop it, Robbie, this is hardly the time," she said a little too snappishly.

"So-rry," he muttered.

"How did the Pevensies treat you?" she asked, changing the subject.

"They were nice, I guess. I liked Peter the best, though."

She smirked – she wasn't surprised; Peter certainly did give off a heroic sort of vibe. He was just the type of person her brother aspired to be like.

Suddenly, he said distractedly, "Hey, what's that?" pointing towards a figure moving towards them.

"Oh my God," Elise murmured. Instantly, she squirmed out of her coat (which was still bundled around Robbie) and broke into a sprint. The snow impeded her running, but she barely noticed.

"Caspian!" she shrieked.

"Elise?" she heard him respond faintly.

"Caspian!" she repeated in sheer delight.

When their paths met, she nearly toppled him to the ground in her haste. Fortunately, he caught her mid-air and they fell into an almost suffocating embrace. She threw her arms around his neck and nestled her face into his padded shoulder, while he lifted her off the ground so that they were more or less the same height.

"I'm so glad you're all right," she mumbled into his coat.

"And I you," he agreed grimly. "I was very worried."

She pulled back several inches against his strong grip and brought her hands to his face, inspecting him for damages. He grinned languidly in response to her overbearing attitude, but he was furtively examining her as well. Without warning, she kissed him hard on the mouth and chided, "Don't you _ever_do that again."

The kiss had been entirely chaste and unromantic; it was more an expression of relief than anything else, and it was so brief that he hadn't even had time to respond. He was left standing there stiffly, like a fool, while Elise quickly wriggled out of his grasp as her companions approached them.

Without looking at him, she contemplated what had just happened and decided that she had been a bit overzealous. True enough, her actions had been (mostly) platonic. Well, as platonic as a kiss could be; but still, a kiss was a kiss. And her feelings for him were decidedly _not_ platonic.

By now, the Pevensies had arrived. However, (un)fortunately, they hadn't witnessed Elise's little display of affection. Robbie had, though, and he made a face in disgust.

"Caspian!" another female voice shouted.

"Is that - ?" he began, awaking from his stunned reverie. She moved out of his line of sight. "Susan!" he exclaimed.

The other girl smiled broadly, revealing a line of (rather large, in Elise's opinion) pearly-white teeth. They met and hugged tightly, much to her chagrin.

Lucy followed her sister's example, and Edmund and Peter shook his hand robustly.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked jovially.

"I found your stuff," Elise interjected, "and I blew the horn. I thought maybe you'd be able to hear it. I didn't think _this_would happen."

"I see," he said carefully. He detected the slight trace of irritation in her tone, but urged himself not to dwell on deciphering its meaning.

"But we're ever so glad to see you!" Lucy exclaimed gleefully. "Susan especially," she added with a hint of mischief.

"Oh, shut it," the other girl said, shoving her sister playfully. However, the grin did not slip off her face.

Caspian cleared his throat awkwardly, to her surprise. "Yes, well, the feeling is of course mutual," he said. His gaze kept darting uncomfortably between Susan and Elise. As fellow members of the male species, Edmund and Peter seemed to be able to interpret his dilemma and looked at Elise with raised eyebrows. Their sisters, on the other hand, remained in the dark.

"So it's like _that_then, is it, mate?" Edmund whispered snidely to Caspian.

"It's been _years_," he said loudly, throwing the brunette an un-amused sidelong glance. Luckily, no one else had heard Edmund's comment.

"Yes," Susan said, "I'd nearly forgotten about this place."

"Oh don't be silly, you'd only _said_ you'd forgotten," Lucy insisted.

Elise watched the interaction between Susan and Caspian intently, like a lion stalking a gazelle. Susan seemed to still be very much enthralled by him, but what remained to be seen was whether or not he still felt the same.

"And who are you?" Caspian finally asked, crouching down to Robbie's level.

"Robbie, I'm Elise's brother," he said shyly, looking to her for support.

"Ah, I see," he said kindly, "Your sister's told me a lot about you. It is an honor to make you acquaintance."

The boy smiled and looked back up at Elise, who was standing over Caspian's shoulder. "What do you say?" she prodded.

"Pleased to meet you too, sir," he replied hurriedly. The king beamed at him and tousled his hair, before rising back up to his full height.

"Well, I suppose we all ought to set up camp for tonight, then," he announced. "It seems like our exploration party has expanded."

_(Later that evening…)_

As the others settled into the campsite, Edmund and Peter pulled Caspian aside. "What, exactly, do you intend to accomplish on this little expedition?" Peter asked gravely.

Caspian explained the legend of the Red Sorcerer, before continuing, "But things seemed to have changed now. Perhaps Elise's being here wasn't just a fluke – the age ban seems to have been lifted, given your and Susan's presence."

"That's what I was wondering, too," Edmund piped in.

"And Aslan's been completely out of contact, of course," Caspian continued in noticeable annoyance. "So naturally, I haven't a clue as to what is going on or just what precisely we are meant to be doing."

"He has the hobby of playing mind games, I've noticed," Edmund said, "So he's most likely got _some_ plan. But I'd say the chances of us figuring it our are slim to none."

"Agreed," said Peter. "The best course of action may just be to continue on your mission. Straying from the path probably isn't the greatest idea, at this point."

"I just don't understand it," Caspian stated finally. "Narnia is at peace. Aside from a handful of relatively minor hiccups, we've been safe until now. I just don't see the reason for anyone from your world being here in the first place." A moment later, he added, "No offense, of course. I'm glad to have you all here."

"What _I_don't understand is how or why that child Robbie came along with us…" Edmund commented.

"Very true," Peter concurred. "If there's no reason for _us_to be here, than there's even less to justify his presence. And this mission is much too dangerous for a child of his age to undertake – I must say, it was a bit irresponsible for Aslan to bring him here. Hopefully Ed's right and he knows what he's doing…"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the campsite, Lucy and Susan were talking to Elise. Robbie, who didn't quite fit in with either group, had fallen asleep beside his sister.

"Where in England are you from?" Susan asked.

"Whitford? It's a very small town in the country – it's outside of London."

"Hm, I'm afraid I've never heard of it."

"I wouldn't have expected you to," Elise murmured.

"How long have you been here for?" Lucy asked.

"About a month, I think? It's a bit difficult to keep track of time here."

"Oh yes, we understand completely," Susan said, "So, has is just been you and Caspian for most of that time?" Elise knew exactly what she was trying to do, and she was determined not to take the bait.

"Well, my friend Ophelia – she's from here – was with us for a while, but we dropped her off with her family about a week or so ago."

"It must be nice to have a break from _just_Caspian – it sounds like you two have been spending a lot of time together. Being with the same person for so long can really get aggravating after a while…" she commented.

"Not really, actually," she stated firmly. "I mean, we've had our tiffs, to be sure, but we get on quite well, for the most part. I haven't gotten sick of him at all."

Susan forced a smile and somewhat insincerely replied, "Well, that's good then." Lucy looked mildly worried. "It's odd," the older Pevensie continued, "We were on the underground and suddenly we were just transported here – I knew immediately what was happening and where we were going, but I thought that things would be just as we left them. Clearly I was wrong – things have changed quite a bit. Even Caspian – he's older and more… What's the word for it? Mature?"

"We've gotten older, too," Lucy pointed out dryly.

"Yes, and I'm sure he thinks _we've_ changed as well. That's just what's so odd about the whole thing. It's not as if we can just pick up where we left off, it seems."

"Well," Elise said finally, "Sometimes change can be a good thing. I can't claim to know what Caspian was like when you knew him, but the man I know now is a wonderful ruler. He seems to think that he'd been a bit of a scared boy before, but that side of him has disappeared as far as I can tell."

Susan smiled uncomfortably, and Lucy put her hand on her sister's arm affectionately. That was the end of their conversation for the night.

Elise got the distinct feeling that the Pevensies thought she and Robbie were infringing on something that they weren't a part of, but, to be entirely honest, she couldn't be bothered to care. She was here first, as far as she was concerned. Sure, they'd _technically_ been here before her, but she was more familiar with this "new" Narnia than they were and she wasn't going to allow anyone make her feel like she didn't belong.


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter XIX**

Elise woke up to Robbie prodding her in the ribs, and for a moment she thought she was back at home, in her own bed. But alas, as soon as she opened her eyes (or, rather, became conscious of the icy ground beneath her back), she realized that this was not the case.

"Mmph, what is it?" she questioned.

"I'm bored."

"You've got to be joking. What time is it?"

"How should I know? I don't have a watch."

She shot him an annoyed look and said, "Is everyone else awake?"

He bit his lip; "Well, er, no…"

"Then why are _you_? Ugh, I shouldn't have let you fall asleep so early."

She turned her back to him exasperatedly and squeezed her eyes shut once again.

Meanwhile, however – unbeknownst to them – there were indeed two others awake, speaking in rapid and hushed tones on the outskirts of the campsite.

"Caspian, you have no idea how much I've missed you," Susan whispered softly. Even in the dim light of dawn, he could see that she had grown even lovelier over the years.

"And I you, Susan, and I you." He knew he was entering dangerous territory, but he couldn't think of any reason to spurn Susan when she hadn't done anything to warrant him pulling away.

"I just thought it was important," she began, clasping his hands earnestly in her own, "that we speak in private – there are quite a few people here, and I'm sure that this won't be an easy feat in the future – I just wanted to get a few things out of the way…"

"What do you mean?" he questioned pointedly.

"I _missed_you, Caspian."

"You've already said that…" he observed, on his guard.

"Yes, but I missed you in such a way – I can't even describe it – all I could think of was what happened just before I left. I thought I was never going to see you again! It was like there was this void that couldn't be filled. And still – even years later – I couldn't forget it."

"Indeed," he started, "quite a lot of time has passed…"

Her blue eyes searched his dark ones frantically – he could practically see her heart breaking, so he continued, "But yes Susan, I have missed you too. More than you can ever know – it was like my parents dying all over again. I was alone, so utterly alone. _But_," he added, "we have no idea how long you are going to be here for. What if it's only for a mere day or two? I don't think I could stand to see you ripped away from me in such a way for a second time."

"You make a valid point," Susan agreed sadly, "but surely – but surely Aslan wouldn't be so cruel as to separate us again? I'm certain that if we just – if we _explain_ the situation to him… He must understand? We're in love, aren't we? I love you, Caspian."

Internally, poor Caspian cursed Aslan to the highest extent: had this happened years ago, his heart would have soared with joy. But now, he wasn't sure how he felt. Did he love her? He did, but perhaps he was not _in love_ with her. And then there was Elise… His mind couldn't help but wander back to her.

"Please say something," Susan prompted with a sort of desperate laugh, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry – " he said hastily, "yes, I love you, too – "

He was about to continue, but she cut him off with a swift, heartfelt kiss. He could tell that she'd learned a thing or two back in her old world, for her actions were not nearly so innocent as they once had been.

This kiss was nothing like the one he had shared with Elise, and the very fact that this was the first thought to run through his head while he was kissing Susan told him that he most definitely had a problem.

He gently broke the contact and whispered, "We should probably get back to camp before anyone notices we're gone…"

"Alright," she agreed happily, giving him another quick peck on the lips.

What had he gotten himself into? Never in his life would he have thought that he would be kissing two different girls within twenty-four hours of one another. He was mostly ashamed of his behavior, but a small part of him couldn't help but smirk in self-satisfaction – _they_ had both kissed _him_, after all. It really was out of his control.

That morning, Elise awoke to see Lucy, Susan, and Caspian sitting around the fire, with Susan attached firmly to Caspian's side. His arm was around her, and she was staring at him with a sickening sort of adoration.

Once the horrible pains of jealously had worn off, Elise resisted the urge to retch.

When Caspian saw that she was awake, their eyes met and he gave her a guilty, urgent _"I can explain"_ look, but she wasn't having any of it. If he wanted to drop her like a hot potato as soon as Susan came along – after all they'd been through – that was his prerogative.

But it would be delusional for her to say that she didn't feel like she had been stabbed in the back and then had her heart torn out.

But that didn't make a difference to him, apparently. She was disposable.

"Elise," Robbie started carefully, his eyes fixed on the couple as well, "what is Caspian doing with Susan?" _Ah, out of the mouth of babes,_she thought wryly.

"What do you mean?" she asked evasively.

"I saw you kiss him just yesterday!" Luckily, no one heard this exclamation; however, that didn't stop Elise from shushing him manically out of paranoia.

"What?" he insisted defiantly, "It's true!"

"Yes, but it wasn't the sort of kiss that, say, a wife gives her husband," she tried to amend.

He didn't look persuaded.

"I'm telling you, it's not what you think, Robbie. We're friends. If he wants to be with _Queen_ Susan, there's nothing I can do about it."

"Doesn't it make you angry?"

"No." It was such a blatant lie that she didn't even bother to try to sound convincing.

"Fine, if you say so…"

"Good. Now we're not going to talk about this ever again, understood?"

"Yeah," he said sullenly, nodding his head. _Sometimes,_ he thought agitatedly, _grown-ups can be so stupid._

"Ah, good to see you're awake," Peter said to the d'Orsays, passing them as he carried additional wood into the campsite.

"We've got a long day ahead of us," Edmund added, following his brother.

"Indeed," Elise muttered irritably under her breath. "The longest." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Susan put her lips near Caspian's ear and give him a quick kiss on the cheek, and was nearly sent over the edge of frustration. She stood abruptly and began to violently shove her belongings into her knapsack.

Caspian, who watched this transpire with veiled shame, rose slowly. "I'll just be a moment," he assured Susan.

He carefully treaded across the campsite, over to Elise.

Once he'd reached her, he knelt down beside her hunched form and hissed, "We need to talk."

Elise's long, dark hair thankfully obscured her face, as she absolutely refused to look at him. She didn't tear her eyes away from her bag. "No, I really don't think we do. You know what they say – actions are louder than words," she snapped acidly.

However, Caspian wasn't taking no for an answer; he rather brusquely grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from everyone else, cornering her in the open plane of snow. He kept a grip on her shoulders, as if to stop her from fleeing from him.

"Elise, please don't be angry with me," he pleaded once they were out of earshot.

"Angry? Why would I be angry?"

"About Susan…"

"Oh, that? Susan? What about her?" The rapid string of questions made her sound manic, she realized, so she forced herself to calm down. "I knew that you were in love with her all along. There's nothing new to discuss here. I don't know why we're having this conversation."

"Please, you have to understand – she doesn't know that – I mean, she doesn't know you." He sighed in frustration at his inability to convey his thoughts, before continuing, "You mustn't be upset with her. She just wants things to be the way they were before. It doesn't have anything to do with you – you shouldn't take it personally, she doesn't know what we – "

"What we what?" Elise interrupted tersely. "What we had? Is that what you were going to say? What _did_ we have, Caspian? Because I'm not aware that there was anything to begin with. Like I said, this conversation is entirely unnecessary."

"We obviously had _something_," he countered sharply, "Otherwise you wouldn't be so cross right now. You _kissed_ me, Elise. You can't ignore that."

She finally met his gaze, and the look in her eyes morphed from one of resentment to one of hurt. "I was just relieved to see that you were all right – that's it. You shouldn't read any more into it than that, you really shouldn't. For both of our sakes. I regret it, that's for sure; I don't know what came over me. Let's just pretend it never happened."

"You're not honestly asking that, are you? We both know that that is an impossible request."

"At least _pretend_ to pretend it never happened, then," she reasoned sadly. "It's better for both of us, that way."

"I really have to disagree!" he protested. "You're not dealing with reality."

"_You're_ the one who's not dealing with reality," she shot back, "I'm leaving. I'm going to be gone. We are going to be separated – it's _inevitable…_ And Susan, she's the perfect match for you, anyway," she added in resignation. "She wants to stay here, and I want to go home. It's as simple as that. Why complicate things?"

She was right; he _knew_ she was right, which made her words sting even more.

"You _want_to go home?" he breathed.

She bit her lip painfully. "I _have_to go home," she rephrased.

"Why?" he demanded boldly. "Robbie's here now."

"We haven't come all this way for nothing," she said in disbelief.

"It's not for nothing! We've got your brother and the Pevensies now, haven't we? I'd consider that a success."

"I have the rest of my family back in England," she said. "I can't abandon them. Even if I don't need my mother anymore, Robbie still does. Now we've got to worry about getting him back as well."

"He's got you…"

"I'm still only his sister – I'm not going to cut it," she insisted. "You don't need me here. You have the Pevensies, now. You have Susan. I'm making it _easy_ for you, Caspian," she continued, "I'm choosing for you, so you don't have to."

With that, she turned on her heel and started to walk back towards everyone else. Caspian stood alone in thought for another couple of moments, his head reeling from everything she had just told him. Eventually, he followed suit and rejoined the rest of his friends.

"What was that about?" Susan asked curiously once he'd returned.

"Nothing," he lied. "Just something having to do with the voyage."

Susan was no fool, and was therefore not entirely trustful of this explanation. She eyed him skeptically for a few seconds, before deciding that, whatever the problem was, it didn't concern her.

Caspian was mildly distraught. He didn't know what to do, and he certainly didn't know what he wanted.

Susan was beautiful, intelligent, and kind. But so was Elise.

Elise was likely to leave him at any given time. But so was Susan.

There was no clear answer.

What did aid his decision, though, was the fact that Elise didn't seem to want him. And Susan most definitely did. So, the choice was easy enough, right?

Except it wasn't.

And he knew that Elise was lying when she said she wasn't bothered, when she said she didn't have feelings for him. Her reaction had spoken volumes.

And _he_would be lying to himself if he said he didn't have feelings for her, either. He did – but he also had feelings for Susan. How could he not? She was his first love and he would always have a special connection to her. But he did not love her. He'd said he loved her, but he did not. And that was a problem, a problem that was totally separate from the deciding how he felt about Elise.


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter XX**

The Pevensies, d'Orsays, and Caspian had finished collecting their belongings and deconstructing the campsite, and were now continuing their ascent.

On their way up the mountain, Lucy began to walk alongside Elise and discreetly initiated a conversation with her.

"Elise," she started innocently enough, "what was it that Caspian was talking to you about this morning?"

The other girl faltered slightly and quickly tried to scrape together some sort of vague lie that she wouldn't be able to disprove. "Nothing really, just something about the trip…" she answered ambiguously.

"Look," Lucy said precociously, "I'm not stupid, and I'm not nearly as thick as my sister is proving herself to be."

"Sorry?"

"I know that there was – _is_– something going on between you and Caspian. Fortunately, I'm not too blinded by affection to notice – but Susan? She's so happy to be reunited with him that she can't even see what's in front of her. I'm sorry, I don't mean to come off as harsh. I'm not blaming you," she amended hastily, "How could you have known that she had feelings for him – no, it's not your fault at all. And I'm not here to tell you to back off, either, because that's not my place. And plus, I see how quickly she flits from one man to the next back at home. No, that's not it at all. I merely want confirmation of my suspicions."

Elise didn't know what to say – Lucy had basically pinned down exactly what was going on; she hadn't realized that she was being analyzed so closely.

"Perhaps," she started carefully, "you may be right, but a relationship between me and him is completely ludicrous – it would never work… But please," she added gravely, "if you think your sister is not completely committed to him, you ought to let him know. He doesn't deserve to have his heart broken – I know for a fact that his love for her is very real. And if you are worried about me as a threat to _their_relationship, you can rest assuredly; I have no intention of carrying out anything more than platonic with him."

Lucy smiled brightly; "Brilliant, that's all I wanted to know – I'm just trying to protect her, is all. I'm sure you understand. You seem like a very kind person, Elise, I hope that the two of us will soon be great friends."

Elise smiled tentatively, but replied, "Likewise."

It wasn't that she didn't trust her – well, maybe it _was_ that she didn't trust her – but something about Lucy's rapid switch from protective to friendly unnerved her. However, she couldn't imagine that the girl wasn't sincere in her intentions – she seemed too young to be manipulative. Perhaps she was just being paranoid. Hell, she _knew_she was just being paranoid, but she couldn't help it.

Ahead of her, Susan and Caspian led the pack, their arms linked. Elise had to look away or else she thought she might be sick.

That was it. She needed to face the facts. There was a very _real_reality in front of her: she was in love with him.

There. Simple. She'd finally admitted it to herself.

It wasn't so bad, was it? It was just a feeling. No more intimidating than hatred or fear, and no more tangible than thoughts or memories.

And no one would ever have to know. Plus, now that it was more than just a subconscious nag, perhaps it would be easier to overcome.

But she was startled, mainly because she had never really _loved_ anyone before; like most young women her age, she'd had crushes and sweethearts. But it was never the same – her other relationships had been physical; they'd held hands and snuck kisses. There was a certain secretive thrill in all of it, but nothing more.

What she felt for Caspian was entirely different. She didn't even need to be near him to feel the fluttering sensation in her stomach, and her heart could ache with just the mention of his name.

But he didn't feel the same about her; she knew he didn't. How could he? He'd said that there was something _between_them, like a boy who tugs on a girl's pigtails in grade school.

What he told her had been awkward and evasive; there was something inherently childish and naïve about it. Plus, if he only cared about her as a schoolyard crush, then she didn't want anything to do with him at all.

And he'd only even noticed that she liked him because of that stupid kiss.

That was the _only_ reason – hadn't he recognized any of the other signs she had dropped? Surely they'd had more intimate moments than that hurried, half-hearted kiss? He didn't even respond to it!

No, she was undoubtedly no more than a passing fancy to him, and now that Susan – his one _true_ love – had returned, he would forget about her completely.

As all these angry and frustrated thoughts whirled through her head, _she_failed to notice, ironically, that he was sneaking glances at her from over his shoulder.

However, he wouldn't so readily admit the gravity of his attraction to her. To him, it was just that – an attraction. Nothing more. Well, he didn't want it to be, at least.

But, as he had invariably learned over the course of his life, a person can't very well choose his or her emotions.

Unfortunately, though, he couldn't help but think that maybe – just _maybe_ – if he had put more of an effort into conveying his feelings for her, things might be different at the moment. Perhaps it would have been Elise's hand grasping his, not Susan's.

_You should have kissed her back_, part of him scolded, _You need to man up. Silly, scared little Prince Caspian is still winning out._

But the other half of him decided that it was just as well; he had protected himself from getting hurt.

"Caspian," Susan asked carefully, "I can tell that something's bothering you – you're not acting like yourself… I wasn't really sure before, but there's definitely no disputing it now."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said with false confusion.

"Look, whatever it is, you can tell me," she said earnestly.

_I really can't_, he mused wryly. "Truthfully, I'm just worried about what's in store for us over this mountain," he lied.

"I know it has something to do with that girl," she insisted.

"Elise?" he corrected.

"Yes, Elise. It actually rather insulting that you don't think I notice you stealing glances at her incessantly."

"It's just, she's a bit angry with me at the moment," he said evasively.

"And why is that? Does it have to do with me?"

"No," he replied a little too quickly, "It has nothing to do with you. Nothing at all. Don't worry about it, Su."

"She fancies you, doesn't she?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"What? No, don't be ridiculous."

"You really ought to talk to her, Caspian – let her know that you're not interested. Can't she see that you've got me?"

"That's just it," he muttered bitterly under his breath.

"What was that, darling?" He didn't want to be called darling. It made him cringe internally.

"Nothing, nothing. Honestly, you don't have anything to fret over. She'll get over it soon."

"Yes, but it's better to be direct with these sorts of things. I'm sure she'll thank you for it in the long run. Would you like me to do it?" she added tentatively after a couple of seconds.

"No, no. I don't think that will help at all."

"Are you sure? I'll be very nice about it. I don't want her harboring any hostility towards me…"

"I know you'll be nice about it, you're always nice. I just don't know how _she_ will react."

"Oh. She has a temper, then?"

"You could say that," he murmured distractedly.

"I'm sure that if you like her she must be very kind – perhaps the two of us can even be friends."

Caspian couldn't help but smile despite himself – Susan the Gentle, indeed.

"I really don't think that's in the cards. Perhaps you give people a little too much credit, my dear."

She smiled back at him and said resolutely, "There's good in everyone – it just takes a bit longer to see it in some than it does in others. I'm going to go talk to her."

Before he could stop her, she unwove her arm from his and started back towards Elise.

"Hello," she greeted sweetly.

"Hello," the other girl echoed unenthusiastically. She couldn't see any reason for Susan to be talking to her, at the moment. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Just to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Oh, nothing in particular. Just life."

"_Why_?" Elise asked bluntly.

"Dunno. I just think we should get to know each other, is all. Any friend of Caspian's in a friend of mine."

"How sweet," she muttered.

However, her sarcasm was lost on Susan, who replied, "Yes, it is… Now, I think there's something we should get out of the way, though, first."

"And what is that?" Elise asked, quirking an eyebrow. The conversation was quickly beginning to become very intriguing – wherever Susan was going with this was sure to be interesting.

"Caspian and I are in love, and I don't mean to sound territorial – no, not in the least – but I think it's rather obvious that you have feelings for him as well. I know this is hard – it's always hard, believe me, I empathize."

"_What's_ hard?"

"Well, I mean, unrequited love, of course. But trust me, I'm not like other girls – I don't hold any of this against you at all."

Elise resisted the urge to laugh in her face – something about Susan's demeanor was very comical, and it immediately the irony dawned on her: Susan _was_like other girls – that was precisely the problem. She had no idea that she was being condescending, and she seemed to have fallen into the trap of adolescence that had ensnared so many of her peers; her obliviousness was a result of her vanity.

Elise quickly realized that, when Caspian had first met her, she must not have reached this stage of her life. Or else, that's what she wanted to believe – she didn't want to think that he could fall for someone so vapid.

Perhaps she was being too critical, she chided herself, but she had every right to be sour.

"Listen, Susan," she began, "I appreciate you trying to be kind, I really do, but you don't have to worry about me trying to _steal_ Caspian from you. I'm not interested." She said the last sentence a little more forcefully than necessary, drawing a few glances from the rest of the party.

However, she decided, her statement might not have been entirely truthful – she was so irked by Susan's little speech that _stealing_ Caspian didn't sound like such a bad idea anymore.

"There's no way for this to end well," Edmund hissed to Peter, who nodded in consensus.

"Su," Peter called, "could you come here for a moment?"

Obediently, Susan joined her brothers. "What is it?" she asked.

"Do you _really_ love Caspian?" he asked her.

"Yes, of course!" she said indignantly.

"The only reason I ask is because last month you were _sure_ that you loved Stephen Plume," he stated, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"I'm an adult, Peter," she snapped irritably, "I know how to make the distinction between fancying someone and _loving_ someone. In this case, it's the latter."

"If you say so…" Edmund muttered.

"Guys, leave her alone," Lucy reprimanded. "I believe her."

"Thank you, Lu. I don't see why the two of you always act so childish."

"I'm _older_ than you, Susan," Peter said in disbelief.

"More proof that age is but a number."

"You're making a fool of yourself," he scolded, "I don't know what's happened to you – it's like you've become a different person. Perhaps _this_is why we were shut out of Narnia in the first place."

"Don't be ridiculous," Susan deadpanned. "Aslan made a mistake. We were never meant to be shut out, which is why we're back now. He must have realized what he'd done and corrected the problem."

"I think it's quite the contrary, sis," Edmund replied, "The mistake is that you're here now."

"Aslan doesn't make mistakes," Lucy interjected solemnly.

"I'm with Lu," Peter agreed, "We're obviously here for a reason: to help Elise and Robbie reach the Red Sorcerer and get home. That's it. This isn't some silly romance novel, Susan."


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry I took so long to update, things have been really hectic lately. Thank you so much to Adriatic Rose, xxxxInu girlxx93839, TheatreAddict, Amri Ishvique, Evy201, myinnervoice, TheHellIKnow, Carlypso, TennisQueen12, shippolove844, TheLostHeroinesOfOlympus, and Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967 for reviewing! I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

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**Chapter XXI**

If anyone asked Elise if she'd heard the Pevensies' conversation, she would have lied and said that she didn't – but still, the fact remained that she had, and now she needed to adjust to what they'd said.

To be completely frank, she had come to severely dislike Susan. She didn't have a problem with any of her siblings, but something (well, many things, really) about Susan rubbed her the wrong way, and her ditsy defense of her actions only served to further seal the envelope on this matter.

However, the eldest Pevensie girl was currently occupied with the task of refuting her brothers' claims, thus leaving Caspian unattended. Elise recognized this as a crucial opportunity, so she didn't hesitate to seize it.

"Robbie," she instructed, "why don't you go and talk to Peter and Edmund for a bit; I'm sure they know much more information about Narnia than I do, maybe they can answer some of your questions. I'll be right back."

"But they look busy…" he protested.

"Nonsense. Go. Now," she ordered, ushering him along.

"Fine, fine, no need to be so bossy all the time," he grumbled. She ruffled his hair, gave him a peck on the cheek, and covertly made her way over to the lone Telmarine King.

"Hello," she greeted inelegantly.

He raised an eyebrow. "We're on speaking terms?" he quipped.

"I've been thinking back to what you said before," she started, ignoring his snarky demeanor, "and I agree – we really do need to talk. But not just now."

"I thought we already did talk…"

"Yes, but there have been some new… developments…" Namely, Susan's patronizing speech had entirely changed her attitude.

"Alright," he replied unsurely, "when, then?"

"Tonight," she answered, "After everyone's asleep."

He bit his lip contemplatively, his eyes darting to Susan to see if she was still distracted, before agreeing, "Okay. We have to stay out of the campsite, though. I don't want anyone to see us and get the wrong idea…"

"Of course not," Elise said, her tone slightly sharper than she'd meant for it to be, "Until tonight, then."

"Until tonight," he repeated.

She nodded briskly and made her way back over to her brother.

"Learn anything new?" she asked lightly.

"Yes, actually," he said pointedly. "Did you know that there used to be a witch who ruled Narnia?"

That sounded vaguely familiar, but she decided to humor him an replied, "No, I didn't. That's very interesting."

"Yeah. Peter defeated her, though."

"Did he now?"

"Yup. Well, with some help from a lion and Edmund and the girls, anyway."

"Fascinating," the elder d'Orsay replied absentmindedly.

"You don't care," her brother huffed in resignation, "You just wanted to keep me busy so you could talk to _Caspian_."

"Shush! That's not true. I thought that talking to them would be beneficial to your… historical understanding of Narnia," she fibbed.

"_Sure_."

"Anyway, look how far up the mountain we've gotten," she remarked in an attempt to change the subject.

"How much farther?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know. The map doesn't exactly cover this area… If you _really_ want to know, your best bet is to ask Caspian."

At the sound of this, he scampered ahead to the King.

"Caspian, Caspian," he said, tugging at his coattail and trying to get his attention.

"Yes?"

"How much longer until we get to the top?"

"Well," he began kindly, "if I had to say, we're probably almost there. You see those rocks up ahead? That means we're getting close – the ground won't be as smooth and snowy, soon. But remember: we still have to get back down on the other side and who knows what else we'll have to do even after that."

"So it's going to be a long way? And dangerous, too?"

He faltered for a moment, unable to gauge the tone of Robbie's question. "Er – yes," he said cautiously.

"Wicked," he replied, grinning.

Caspian wasn't exactly familiar with this sort of slang, but, judging by the look on the boy's face, he was excited. A love of adventure had always been something very near to his own heart, so he could empathize with the child's naïve brand of enthusiasm.

However, he replied sagaciously with a smirk, "Danger isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Robbie shook his head vigorously in disagreement; "Sure it is. I'm tired of hearing about pretend heroes like Hercules and Robin Hood – someday it's going to be _me _that everyone talks about."

"I don't doubt that," Caspian commented with a laugh.

"Are you famous here? In Narnia, I mean," he asked out of the blue.

Again, he faltered. "Well – erm – yes, I suppose to an extent," he answered awkwardly.

"Elise said that you're a proper king, like the type we used to have in the olden days." "You don't behead people, do you?" he added as an afterthought.

"No, I don't."

"That's good."

The little boy then decided to stay quiet for the next couple of minutes, to Caspian's great relief; he didn't think he could handle answering any more of his random questions.

"I think my sister fancies you," he finally whispered conspiratorially.

He looked down at Robbie amusedly and said, "Are you sure you ought to be telling me that?"

"Perhaps not, but I think it's fairly obvious," he replied.

"Your sister's a very nice girl, but neither of us sees the other that way."

"Hm. I guess that's good, then. Are you coming back with us?"

"No, I'm just escorting you. Why?"

"Oh. Are Peter and Edmund?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"And Lucy and Susan?"

"I think so."

"Hm. That's odd."

"What is?"

"Well, aren't you and Susan _sweethearts_?"

"I guess you could say that…"

"Then what are you going to do when she goes back?"

"I don't know," he said delicately, "I guess perhaps the Pevensies might not go back, after all."

"That's not fair," Robbie protested, "Why do we have to go, then?"

"Don't you want to see your mother? And your grandparents?"

He thought for a moment, before replying, "Yes, I suppose so. But will I ever get to come back?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

Another few minutes passed, before Robbie commented, "Look, we're in the rocky part now."

And indeed they were.

Caspian suspected that they would have been able to see the top of the mountain, too, had there not been a layer of clouds obscuring their view.

"We're almost to the top, everyone!" he announced to the rest of the group.

This put an end to the Pevensies' bickering, and caused Elise to pick her eyes up from the ground.

"How can you tell?" Susan called in response.

"The terrain has changed. We could probably see the peak, if it weren't for those clouds," Edmund answered for him.

"I was _asking_ Caspian," she grumbled quietly.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," the Telmarine King replied, oblivious to Susan's comment. Edmund sneered at his sister in response to this statement, and Peter couldn't help but snicker.

After about another hour of walking, they'd made it into the cloud layer. Visually, they only appeared to be passing through a fog, but the air felt light, cold, and damp.

"Everyone stay close," Peter instructed, "We don't want anyone getting cut off from the group."

Suddenly, something began to take form in the distance; it was a wall.

"What's that?" Susan asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Peter answered pointedly.

It was tall, and it stretched as far as the eye could see. Something about it reminded Elise of grainy photographs she'd seen of the Great Wall of China. Except it wasn't stone – it appeared to be constructed of some sort of metallic substance.

"What in the…" she mumbled.

"What _is _that?" Lucy repeated.

"It's a wall," Edmund said with blunt sarcasm.

"Well, _obviously_," she snapped back irritably.

"How do we get over it?" Susan asked.

Even Elise had to admit, that was the question on everyone's mind; how _did _they get over it? Surely they couldn't climb it?

"I find," Caspian began vaguely, "that these sorts of problems usually have a way of working themselves out."

"Very true," Peter agreed, nodding reminiscently.

As they grew closer to the fortification, it became clear that it wasn't _just _made of "some metallic substance"; it was made of gold. Solid gold. Shining obtrusively through the snow. Everyone was shocked by this discovery, particularly Edmund, whose jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

Finally, they were standing toe-to-toe with the golden bricks.

"Don't touch it," Caspian warned.

"Why not?" Robbie asked innocently.

"I don't trust it…"

So instead, the young boy decided to chuck a snowball at the structure.

All of a sudden, the ground began to tremble; immediately, Elise feared another avalanche. However, what happened next was arguably even more daunting: the bricks moved – on their own accord – creating a doorway for the troupe to pass through.

"We're supposed to go in?" Susan questioned in fright.

"What other choice do we have?" Caspian replied solemnly, taking the first step beyond the threshold.

Susan followed closely, clinging to him like a bur to a fox; next went an obscenely jealous Elise, trailed by Robbie, Lucy, Edmund, and Peter respectively.

Her heart fluttered in anxiousness – there was no telling what would lie in store for them in the darkness. Elise felt Robbie snake his hand into hers, and she couldn't help but smile at his naïveté – as if _she _could protect him. However she didn't say anything to unnerve him; any sense of security, false or not, was better than none.

The ground was made up of gold tiles as well. Once the whole party was inside, the doors fluidly slid shut once again, causing the room to become pitch-black.

Abruptly, the floor began to rumble; Lucy let out a sharp scream of surprise and Robbie tightened his grip on Elise's hand. They all jerked upwards at a horrifying speed.

"What's going on?" Elise demanded in terror.

"I don't know," Caspian yelled over the loud screeching sound that the wall was making.

Finally, the hellish ride came to a halting stop, and the group was jolted painfully back to solid ground. The reappearance of bright sunlight and frigid air signaled that they were now on top of the building.

Directly in front of them, a square section in the floor opened into a black void.

"Stand back," Peter ordered everyone protectively.

"Caspian, what's happening?" Susan whined.

Before he could respond, however, something very terrifying and very _alive _emerged from the abyss.

It wasn't anything Elise had ever seen or even _heard _of before; what appeared was a brilliant, serpent-like creature with six wings. The sight was so simultaneously horrifying and mesmerizing that no one could bear to look away.

It rose up above them with its three sets of shimmering wings, a strange sort of heat wafting off of it.

"What is your business here?" it demanded in a booming, almost robotic voice.

"We seek the Red Sorcerer," Caspian stated confidently.

"If you wish to reach the Red Sorcerer," the creature began cryptically, "then you must complete the Three Trials."

"What are they?" Edmund asked.

"They will test the purity of your spirit. Once you descend into the Land of Apollyon, you will remain there if you fail to pass the Trials."

Elise looked around nervously, but Peter whispered, "Don't worry, everyone; we've done loads of this sort of thing before. We'll be fine."

"We accept these terms," he confirmed loudly.

"Very well. Your fate is not sealed until you cross the Sanzu. May fortune guide you."

With that, the floor once again disappeared beneath their feet, and they were sent barreling down the chute. Within a matter of seconds, they were back at ground level and faced with a light at the end of the dark tunnel that enveloped them.

When the group had sufficiently recovered from the drop, Susan demanded, "What in God's name is the Sanzu?"

Elise, who was the only one looking into the distance, quietly replied, "I think it's a river."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because look," she said, pointing to a vast stretch of water laid out about an hour's distance away from them.

"How are we supposed to cross that?" Edmund asked in disbelief. "It'd be impossible to swim it, and we haven't a boat or any other way of getting across."

"Oh, I'm sure there's a way," Caspian answered ominously. "Just look at how we were able to get through the wall."

"Let's get going then, shall we?" said Peter.

"Wait a moment," Edmund interjected, "I don't think we should go just yet – we ought to wait until morning."

"Why is that?"

"It's getting late in the day, and I do _not _want to face whatever we have to face in the nighttime."

"He has a point," Caspian piped in.

"Alright," Peter agreed finally, "Then we will set up camp here for the night. Tomorrow, we cross the Sanzu."

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**A/N: So there you have it! Finally some more action. I hope you all liked this, pretty please review! :)**


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter XXII**

The pair was alone, beyond the creeping reach of the orb of light cast by the campfire. The frigid combination of snow and the night's heavy air made it seem like the land around them was utterly dead, and they were the only living creatures. It created a sort of eerie stillness. Their breath came out in short, misty puffs, which seemed to make noises of their own, the only sound discrete from the crunching of their boots upon the icy tundra. Silence was an utmost priority. Even though everyone had long since fallen asleep, they couldn't risk waking them up. They couldn't be discovered, not by their comrades and especially not by Susan. It wasn't that they were doing anything particularly wrong – not yet, at least – but sneaking off together in the dead of night sent a message that, thus far, they had fastidiously tried to avoid. Suspicions were high enough; the absolute last thing they needed to do was fan the flame by providing concrete evidence.

But this meeting was necessary. There were so many things unsaid, so many things driving them mad. If nothing else, this would put an end to all the pent up tension. The inner turmoil, the wistful glances – they'd both reached a breaking point. It was time to hash out the conflict.

When they were finally _positive_ that they were out of earshot of their companions, they sat cross-legged, facing one another in the snow. Even through all the layers of furs and leather, they were chilled to the bone. Or at least, that's what it seemed; they could very well have been shaking for reasons that were altogether different, reasons that had to do with nerves and anticipation.

It was Caspian who was the first to speak. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" he asked quietly. Even in the dark, Elise could see his warm, brown eyes glimmer brightly. She had his full attention, and she knew he knew why she wanted to talk to him.

"It has to do with what we were discussing the other day…" she began in ill-disguised trepidation.

"About Susan?"

"Yeah. Look, Caspian, I really do care about you," she continued, gauging his reaction as she spoke. He merely nodded slowly, urging her to go on. "And I only want what's best for you…" she blathered weakly. She doubted herself, doubted she would be able to say what she wanted to say. Perhaps this whole thing had been a bad idea after all…

Again, he nodded in understanding; however, this time, he also spoke. "Yes?" he prodded, evidently growing impatient. She was glad that he at least had the decency to stop himself from adding, _get to the point_.

"So don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way," she warned, "but I really don't think Susan is right for you."

"And why is that?" he questioned calmly and bluntly, cocking an eyebrow.

"_Because_ – because, well, because you just aren't," she replied lamely. As the words poured from her mouth, she chastised herself for sounding so inarticulate. She hadn't really planned what she was going to say and, now that she'd gotten this far, she was at a loss.

Finally, she collected her thoughts and said, "I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'd wager that even _you_ agree with me. Perhaps yes, perhaps at one point the two of you were meant to be together. But that was years ago – you've both changed. It happens – people change. It happens quite a lot. You're different to the point where you're not even compatible anymore, at least not in a romantic sense. When you were young and your personalities hadn't been fully developed, maybe things would have worked out. But that's not an excuse to try to force-fit a relationship now."

Caspian bristled almost imperceptibly, but he just listened. He wasn't offended, not exactly. He was more perturbed that she had ventured to tell him how _he_ felt. How could she know? How could she possibly be able to read his emotions, especially about Susan? Susan had known him longer than Elise had. Elise had no right to say what she was saying, and yet, what bothered him most was that in the pit of his stomach he feared she was _right_. She, who had known him for only a matter of months, had his personality down pat. Or so it seemed. He opened his mouth to offer his rebuttal, but she cut him off.

"This isn't a jealousy thing," she covered quickly. "Like I said, I just want what's best for you. Peter and Edmund told me earlier that she used to go from boy to boy back home, and I don't want you to get hurt. That's all."

He almost failed to stop himself from scoffing. "You're _sure_ this isn't a jealousy thing?" he commented. Because it sure seemed like it was.

"Certain."

"Is that why you look as if you want to rip her head off every time she touches me," he drawled.

She chewed her lip in embarrassment. Okay, so maybe she had been a tad too obvious in her discomfort. "It doesn't have to do with jealousy. She just irks me."

"Hm. You seem to be the only one affected," he teased gently. It was just a little endearing, her blatant envy and earnest desire for his affections.

"Well, maybe I'm being too sensitive, then, but the sight of her hanging onto you like some sort of barnacle it just too much to bear," she chattered rapidly in irritation.

"Too much to bear?" he echoed, his brows knitting together in geniune confusion.

"What I mean is," she stammered hastily, "I don't, I mean, I – " She was unable to finish, and the sound of her voice evaporated into the static of the night.

"You what?" he prompted softly – hesitantly, almost. He wasn't sure if this was going in a direction that he would be able to control, and it scared him. But some things were worth the plunge.

"It would never work between us," Elise finally sighed, resigning her mask of indifference. She didn't know if she was trying to assure him or herself. It was probably a little bit of both.

Surprised by her sudden switch in tactics, he was only able to nod vacantly in consensus.

"It just wouldn't," she continued unthinkingly.

He agreed gruffly, "Yes, I know. You are completely right."

The words coming out of their mouths and their bodies, however, seemed to be in direct conflict; they were moving closer and closer by the sentence.

"You still love her," she stated matter-of-factly, her gaze dropping to his lips. "Even after I've told you all that."

"I – I do. I think," he affirmed reluctantly, as if even he didn't believe it. And he didn't.

"So, it's done – that's it. It would be totally inappropriate if I were to do what I wanted to…"

"That depends," he began, shifting even closer, "on just what exactly you're talking about."

Against the freezing air, she could feel the heat radiate from his body as he grew nearer. It was comforting and pleasant, and exactly the sort of thing that was going to cause her to behave rashly. She wet her lips indicatively, silkily replying, "You're a smart boy, Caspian. I think you have an idea."

"That would be wholly unfair to Susan," he protested halfheartedly, his voice dropping nearly an octave.

At that sound of this, Elise's stomach fluttered in anticipation. It was a purely biological reaction, which let her know that she was now running on blind instinct. Her half-lidded gaze flickered from his lips up to the abyssal pools of black that had become his eyes, only to see that he was staring intently at her mouth. It was an unmistakable cue.

She batted her eyelashes and said, "Yes, you're right." But really, she couldn't have cared less if they were being unfair to Susan or not.

"So, we should go back," he asserted. The line that connected them – the intangible sort of transient and intrinsic tie that drew them together – was on the verge of being severed. Elise felt inexplicably obliged to preserve it, at any cost.

She made a noise of disagreement in the back of her throat. All of this was starting to feel horribly familiar, this cyclic inching together and pulling apart. Sometimes it almost felt as if they were orbiting planets, destined to hover near to one another but never collide.

"We should," he repeated. From his tone, however, she could tell that his head and his… his _heart_ were in dispute.

"This is only wrong if it's not what you want," she stated with unexpected resolve. But he couldn't help but feel that what he wanted didn't matter anymore.

"This?" he repeated as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

She wanted more than anything to kiss him, but she didn't want to be the one to initiate it. There had to be some sort of confirmation from him, confirmation that she hadn't imagined this entire torrid _thing_ between them. She moved closer, though, so that their lips were barely centimeters apart. "_This_, Caspian," she purred almost inaudibly, "Don't pretend to be oblivious."

If any words had rolled off her tongue, he'd missed them. The sound of his heart forcefully pumping blood was the only noise that filled his ears. Everything else was becoming a bit of a haze. The warmth emanating from her parted lips was inviting him, beaconing him like a lighthouse to a lost sailor. Like an oasis to a parched traveler. There was nothing he could do to resist.

And just like that, he very nearly smashed his mouth against hers. He had broken. All of his mental barriers were irreparably shattered. His hand knotted itself into her dark hair and pulled her closer, closer than they'd ever been. She responded eagerly, as he'd expected she would. Their lips moved together perfectly, like pieces to a puzzle. They'd each kissed other people before, but, for the first time, it felt like they were fitting the correct two puzzle pieces together.

Caspian had to actively restrain himself, because Elise really didn't seem to deem it necessary. She was clawing at him – at his _clothing_ – brazenly, and her tongue and teeth were hypnotizing him in the best and worst possible ways. If he had been a lesser man, he might have cracked. But he was not – he was the king of Narnia, and, more importantly, he was a respectable gentleman.

Elise, on the other hand, thought her heart was going to burst through her ribcage. Her heart – it was a core of heat against the cold, and it pumped liquid fire through her veins, warming her entire body. She couldn't take it – she'd waited so long for this, and the sensation – the _feeling_ of him – was even better than she'd imagined. If she didn't breathe soon, though, she feared she might pass out. But she didn't want to. She never wanted to; she'd be content to die like this.

When Caspian finally was able to bring himself to release her, he was confronted with a large problem: he had never felt this way about anyone. No one – not even Susan. _Especially_ not Susan.

He studied Elise's face, wishing that this – this image of her with mussed hair, flushed cheeks, and swollen lips – were the only image he would ever have to see for the rest of his life. He wished that they were the only people in the entire world. He wanted nothing more than to sweep her off her feet, carry her all the way back to the palace in Telmar, and forget about everything else.

She would be gone, soon. Too soon. But she was here now.

He kissed her again. Slower, this time, but equally enthusiastically. As he explored her mouth with his own, he vaguely noticed that he somehow felt... older. More mature. This wasn't the sort of kiss he had given Susan before she left; this was the sort of kiss that wasn't an end in itself, but rather a gateway to something... more. And it was the _more_ part that was troubling him, because Elise wasn't stopping herself and neither was he.

Her small hands covered his and guided him against the curve of her body, places that he really shouldn't have allowed her to guide them, and at this point he had to pull away because he knew that if he didn't do it now, he never would.

"What's the matter?" Elise asked breathlessly.

"I – uh – nothing," he managed. "Nothing. You're perfect. That was... perfect. But we should stop... If we don't stop now, we might not..."

She nodded in understanding, knowing he was right. The trail they had embarked on just moments earlier only had one destination and, as much as she cared about him, she knew it would only make things more difficult in the end.

"So what does this mean?" she asked quietly.

He sighed deeply and responded, "I don't know."

"I don't know about you," she started, "but when I thought about… well… _that_, I didn't think it would go like… the way it went. You probably think I'm some sort of harlot."

"Of course not," he replied quickly, laughing humorlessly. "I could never think that about you."

Everything about that had been wonderful, but it was a terrible kind of wonderful, the type that you only felt when you were experiencing something absolutely fantastic for what you knew to be the first and last time.

"But where does this leave us?" she pressed. "I – I can't see you with her, Caspian. I just can't," she said, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

He didn't want to see her cry, so he rested his hand on her cheek comfortingly. She needed more than this, though, so she scooted closer and buried her face in his warm chest.

"I know, this whole situation is awful," he soothed.

"I'm not asking you to be with me," she sniffed, "Just _please_, please, no one else? Not her? Not while I'm here, at least."

He laughed darkly and answered, "There is no one else, Elise, only you. I should have realized it ages ago. It's only been you since the day we met, and that's the way it will always be."

She chuckled nostalgically and said, "You know what I thought when we first met?"

"What?"

"I was terrified of you."

"Really?" he questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah. I thought you were really good-looking and really frightening all at the same time. It was very confusing, actually."

"You thought I was good-looking?" he asked, making an expression of amusement.

"Obviously."

"Well _I_ thought you were incredibly clever and beautiful, if that's any consolation. The most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, even through all that dirt and grime," he replied.

"Gee, thanks." She gave him a peck on the lips, before leaning her head on his shoulder and saying, "I really don't want to leave. Can't you come with me?"

"Can't you stay?" he countered. They both knew it would be impossible to try to find a way to stay together, but discussing it somehow made it seem _less_ impossible.

They were silent for a while, neither knowing how to respond.

Eventually, Elise asked, "What are you going to tell Susan?"

He inhaled sharply. "I'll just tell her that I think she ought to go back to her old life back in England, I suppose. But I don't think we should let anyone know what happened tonight – it would be too hard on her."

She nodded slowly in agreement.

"C-Caspian, I," she stuttered, "you know that if I could, I would stay here with you – I _want_ to stay here with you, more than anything. It's just – Robbie – he's my family… I can't abandon him…"

"I know, Elise. And you know that _I_ would give anything to go back with you. But I can't abandon my kingdom… I can't allow what happened under my uncle to happen again – they need me here."

"I understand. I don't know – I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't think I'll be able to endure being separated from you." She wanted to tell him how she felt – she _desperately_ wanted to tell him how she felt. But she couldn't. Not now, not ever. The moment the words crossed her lips, they became real. And she couldn't accept that, not when she had so much to lose.

"Oh, Elise," he sighed painfully. Why had fate been so cruel to them? Why were they destined to meet, only to be ripped apart? It didn't seem fair – all this agony could have easily been avoided if she'd never been brought to Narnia.

But, perhaps it was better that they be separated – without her, he wouldn't have a weakness or a distraction. He would be able to completely immerse himself in his royal duties, as he'd done when Susan left. And all that had worked out well – Narnia was at peace, and the citizens were content.

"We really should go back," he said finally.

"Alright," she conceded. He stood up and in turn helped her to her feet, such that they were facing each other.

"These are our last few days together," she mumbled despondently, "and we won't even have the opportunity to make the most of them."

"What do you mean?"

"We have to pretend for Susan's sake that none of this ever happened," she explained.

At this, he pulled her in for another passionate kiss. It really couldn't be described as anything less than fairytale-esque. When they broke apart, he leant his forehead against hers and solemnly said, "I wish more than anything that the circumstances could be different."

"As do I."

"But we really need to get back," he insisted with a smirk. "For real, this time."

She nodded. With that, they returned to the campsite, officially ending their tryst.


	24. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to update! Thank you so much to Nankita Durante, SailingAwaySoftly, Mason and Alex, TennisQueen12, shippolove844, Lacers, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, TheLostHeroinesOfOlympus, Carlypso, Psyche101, krenee321, Evy201, and myinnervoice for reviewing! You guys are the best :)

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**Chapter XXIII**

"Everyone wake up, it's time to get up!" Robbie whined. He'd been pacing around the camp petulantly for nearly ten minutes, and was growing increasingly frustrated as his sister ignored him.

Elise _really_ had no intention of moving due to her perpetual state of exhaustion, which had been especially heightened seeing as she'd gone to bed much later than everyone else.

Caspian, who was one of the first to rise, gently nudged her with his foot; "C'mon, before he throws a fit," he prodded softly.

Susan, Lucy, and Edmund were still asleep as well, but they were beginning to stir and Caspian knew that the longer they left Elise to lie in a state of semi-sleep, the longer it would take her to get up in the first place. He also knew that she would respond best to him, as opposed to the shrill cries of her brother.

And he was absolutely right – as soon as she heard the sound of his voice, the events of the previous night came flooding back to her. For a moment, she'd thought it'd all been a dream (it wouldn't be the first time she'd dreamt about kissing Caspian, that's for sure). But no; it had been real. Filled with a new energy, she bounced up eagerly and dusted herself off.

"Good morning," she said with an underlying slyness.

"Morning," he said tentatively. To an onlooker, it would be quite easy to see that the two were sharing some sort of secret joke; but, luckily, there was no one around to analyze their behavior.

Caspian's voice seemed to have a similar effect on Susan, however, who shot up as well.

Elise, who normally would have eyed her with disapproval, struggled to hide her amusement; she knew that the poor girl was _not_ in for a good day, and, despite herself, she couldn't help but wait excitedly for Susan to receive what was coming to her.

She turned to Caspian and batted her eyes at him expectantly. He made a pained expression, but her pseudo-innocent stare did not waver.

"Best get it over with," she whispered conspiratorially. She knew she was being difficult, but she really couldn't help herself – as far as she was concerned, it was her turn to be smug and she had every right to enjoy it.

"Su, can I talk to you for a moment," he said quietly.

"Of course, what is it?"

"Why don't we step outside the camp for a bit…"

And so they did; when they were out of earshot, Susan asked, "What's the matter?"

"I really don't know how to put this," he began reticently, "But – hm. There really is no easy way to say it – I think that, perhaps, it might be best if you return to England with your family."

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion, marring her pretty face. "What do you mean?"

"It's just – you have a whole life back there, don't you? Surely you don't want to leave it altogether? And plus, odds are that Aslan will send you back at some point anyway."

"This is about Elise," she said bluntly.

"What? No, why do you say that?"

"Caspian, don't lie to me. I'm not stupid, contrary to popular belief."

"Of course you're not stupid, Susan – you know that I think you're brilliant."

"Really? You do? Because that's news to me – as far as I can see, you're attempting to dump me back in England so that you can be with Elise – which, by the way, makes absolutely no sense. Or have you forgotten that this entire trip was meant to send her back?"

"I'm _not _leaving you for Elise – this has nothing to do with her. I just think it would just be better for both of us this way," he explained desperately. Things weren't going nearly as well as he'd hoped. "I'm trying to end this before either of us gets hurt."

"It's too late for that," she snapped irritably.

"Please don't be cross…"

"Don't be cross? Please tell me you're joking… I have every right to be 'cross.' Do you not see the wrong in what you're saying to me? Do you have any idea how I feel right now, what you've done to me? Did you _ever _love me?"

"Of course I did!" he protested, "How could you ever think that I didn't?"

"But that's just it – you've just said 'did,' in the past tense. So you _don't _love me anymore? I thought you just wanted me to return to my life in England. I didn't realize that you don't love me anymore."

"But – you said – "

"I was testing you," she interrupted, "And you failed. Miserably."

"Look, Su, you can't deny that we've both changed…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! Nothing, just listen: I think you'll be happier in your own world. I really do. Aslan sent you back for a reason, and I don't think it's a good idea to just completely disregard his advice; what if you really are here by accident? It's not a good idea to put so much stock into a relationship that might not even last another day. You _have _to admit that I at least have a point, even if you don't want it to be true."

She remained silent for a moment, reflecting on his words.

"I just can't believe that you're so willing – no, not even willing – _eager_ to completely dismiss everything we've been through together. I _love _you, Caspian; truly love you. And I thought you felt the same, but clearly I was mistaken." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away tearfully.

Caspian let out a deep, frustrated sigh – that had gone horribly. But, at least he'd gotten it off his chest; that alone was a relief.

"Happy?" he muttered bitterly to Elise once he'd returned.

"Not that she's upset," she whispered, "But that you've ended it with her, yes. Imagine how you'd feel if I was acting all lovey-dovey with, I don't know, say, Peter. It would be awful."

"If you truly loved him, it'd be different."

"And do you truly love her?" she asked in panic.

He paused for a moment, before replying, "I don't know, but she said that she was in love with me."

"She's in love with the idea of being in love," she quipped dismissively, "Not you."

He knew she was right, so he didn't venture a response.

"We'd best get a move on," was all he said.

And before they knew it, they'd completed the hour-long trek to the river; the entire journey, Susan had been in a (understandably) foul mood, and her brothers (as brothers should be) were more than a little perturbed at Caspian.

"Now what?" Edmund asked as they stood at the bank.

"I don't quite know…" his brother replied.

Their questions were soon answered, however, when the ground began to shake familiarly.

"Not again," Susan groaned.

All of a sudden, something began to emerge from the water. It appeared to be some sort of boat, though it was difficult to distinguish on account of all the seaweed and barnacles encasing it. It was large in the sense that it was long, but it only rose a couple of feet above the surface of the water.

"What is that?" Lucy asked worriedly.

Elise, who was at the back of the party, grabbed Caspian's hand subconsciously. Luckily, only Robbie saw; he gave them a knowing (albeit repulsed) look, causing her to pull away quickly.

Once the ship was fully revealed and had stopped rocking violently, Peter began to approach it. Caspian started to follow him, but Elise kept a tight grip on his bicep.

"There's someone on it," she warned in an attempt to stop him.

"Exactly," he replied, shrugging her off.

The rest of the group watched anxiously as its two eldest members walked towards the ominous structure.

At the helm of the boat was a bizarre sort of creature that looked like a cross between a man and some sort of crustacean.

"I will take you across the river," he announced mechanically, "for a price."

"A price?" Peter muttered to Caspian confusedly.

"What sort of price?" the Telmarine king called.

"The currency of Apollyon is very unique. I need years to make my vocation complete."

"Years?" Peter asked in disbelief.

"Yes. They are not as plentiful as one might think. The more I have, the more I can keep."

"I don't understand."

"A man lives the number of his wealth."

"I think he wants us to shorten our lifespan," Caspian whispered in a sudden realization.

"That's absurd! How could we make such a decision without knowing how long we're going to live in the first place?"

The other young man shrugged, but asked, "What is the fee?"

"For seven people, seven years."

"So we're each to give one?" Peter asked Caspian.

"Let's discuss it with everyone else…" he replied, heading back to the rest of the group.

"What's the matter?" Lucy asked.

Caspian opened his mouth to speak, but Peter cut him off, "Nothing. Edmund, Susan, and Elise, could we speak to you all a moment?"

The three gave them skeptical looks, but nevertheless followed them out of Lucy and Robbie's range of hearing.

"The ferryman wants us to pay him," Peter explained.

"So, what's the problem? You've got money, haven't you?" Susan questioned.

"No, not in money. In years. Seven, to be precise."

"Years?" Edmund asked.

"Yes. Years off of our lifespan."

A heavy silence hung in the air, before he said, "So we're each meant to pay one, then?"

Peter nodded.

"I'll pay two," Elise said suddenly. "One for myself and one for Robbie."

"Yes, that's why I pulled you three aside – I want to pay Lucy's, but I know she'd never let me," the eldest Pevensie said.

"So it's settled, then; Peter and I will pay two, and the rest of you will pay one?"

Everyone except Caspian nodded in consensus. When the Pevensies headed towards the ship, Caspian stayed behind and pulled Elise back.

"I don't want you to pay two," he whispered urgently in her ear, "I'll pay yours and Robbie's."

"Don't be ridiculous! There's no way you're paying three. I won't allow it."

"At least let me pay Robbie's, then."

"No! He's my brother – _my _responsibility."

"Then let me pay yours," he pleaded gruffly, his breath tickling her ear.

"No. If anything, I should be paying yours – you're in the most danger out of everyone."

She'd only realized that this was indeed the truth until after she said it. She finally turned to look at him, her eyes filled with sadness. Neither said anything, but their gazes were locked intensely; no one was going to win the argument.

Elise was overcome with the desire to kiss him at that moment, but she fought desperately to restrain herself – the Pevensies weren't watching them, but they were far too close for her to risk such an action.

After a moment, she ripped herself away from him and began walking towards the boat. He followed closely, their hands joined secretly behind her back.

"We've already paid ours," Edmund announced once they'd joined them.

"What took you so long?" Robbie complained naively. Susan stared into the horizon despondently, pained by his comment.

"Sorry," Caspian said awkwardly. He turned to the captain of the boat and said, "Th-" Elise elbowed him harshly in the ribs "-Two years," he said.

"Two?" Peter whispered in bewilderment.

"I'm taking you-know-who's," he explained quietly.

"One," Elise said irritably. "This isn't what we agreed," she hissed dangerously in his ear.

Caspian ignored her as the ferryman boomed, "Very well."

Suddenly, a long wooden ramp descended from the side of the ship.

"All aboard," he commanded.

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**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I tried to make Susan seem a bit more human; I was afraid that I was portraying her as a bit one-dimensional in the previous chapters. Please review and let me know what you think!**

**Also, I'm just curious, I hope no one thinks this story is becoming too cumbersome? If you do, please let me know because I still have quite a bit of stuff planned but I don't want the plot to become tedious. So yeah... thanks for reading :)**


	25. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much to TheLostHeroinesOfOlympus, SailingAwaySoftly, shippolove844, Amri Ishvique, Carlypso, Psyche101, Evy201, TennisQueen12, and Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967 for reviewing! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter :)

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**Chapter XXIV**

"The water really is beautiful," Lucy remarked, entranced. She was leaning over the edge of the boat, her face dangling just feet above the placid surface.

Beautiful, perhaps, was not the best choice of words. However, the more she looked at it, the more Elise began to agree with the young girl's sentiments. The water was such a dark shade of bluish-green that it appeared to be almost black. The abyssal quality that it emitted was extremely hypnotic, and after a while it did indeed appear lovely.

"Don't get too close," Peter warned.

However, the youngest Pevensie didn't seem to hear him. Elise watched in bewitched wonder as Lucy extended her hand and allowed it to hover mere centimeters above the water. Slowly, she placed her palm in the surface.

Before there was even time for ripples to appear, something green and plant-like shot out and wrapped itself around her wrist; she screamed. It was at this moment that her eyes became startlingly clear and she was ripped out of her trance.

Thinking fast, Peter drew his sword and severed the slimy cord. "I told you not to get too close!" he scolded angrily.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered in fearful shock, "I don't know what came over me – I just couldn't help myself."

Elise remained unmoved by this turn of events and her eyes remained fixed on the river.

Caspian saw this, and, gripping her shoulders, instructed, "Hey, don't look at it."

The physical contact brought her back to her senses, and she looked up at him worriedly.

"That was so odd – I couldn't stop staring."

"I could tell," he said solemnly. "Everyone, don't look at the water for too long," he announced to the rest of the party.

Now fully alert, she heard a faint, echoing noise in the distance; it sounded like singing.

"Do you hear that?" she asked Caspian.

He strained his ears to listen, and it became apparent that the sound was growing louder.

"Yes, I do," he said nervously. "What's that noise?" he demanded of the ferryman.

"They are the daughters of the river," he said ambiguously.

"'They'?" Edmund questioned.

"Ellie, look!" Robbie exclaimed from the other side of the boat. She rushed to her little brother, afraid of what might try to snatch him from her.

Susan, who was near the younger d'Orsay, did not seem very concerned. "It's just a mermaid," she said coldly, "We've seen them loads of times before – it's nothing to worry about."

"Not like this, we haven't," Edmund contradicted – he was staring intently at the water, and it soon became clear that a head had risen.

It – or rather _she_ – was strikingly gorgeous in a very morbid sense of the word; long, silken green locks framed her angular face, and a pair of the most vivid blue eyes (which reminded him of Elise's, Caspian noted silently) peered up at them seductively. However, there was something very inhuman – apart from her coloring and the pair of pointed, gill-like ears that poked out from underneath her hair – about her beauty.

Her plump lips parted into a mischievous smile, only to reveal a row of pearly-white, fang-like teeth. She was gone in a flash, but her voice could still be heard from above the water. Her melancholy song contained no words, or at least no words that were recognizable to human ears.

Suddenly, three more appeared; they looked similar to their companion, but had decidedly different features. However, they were all equally stunning in appearance.

Edmund, determined to get a better look at the creatures, leant precariously over the side. The closer he got to them, the further away they moved. Just as he was about to overstep the railing, Peter gripped the collar of his shirt and hauled him back into the boat.

"Bad idea," he stated gruffly.

One of the mermaids giggled melodiously, before giving Peter and flirtatious pout. She brought one of her hands (if they could be referred to as such) out of the water and beckoned for him to come closer with a long, bony finger.

Having had the misfortune of making eye contact with her, he became ensnared in her trap. Like Edmund, began to drift further and further over the edge of the boat.

"Pete?" the younger Pevensie brother questioned.

No response.

"Peter!" he exclaimed.

But it was too late. Just as Peter realized what was happening, the mermaid's hands shot up to grab either side of the neckline of his tunic and pull him into the green abyss.

Luckily, Edmund was able to react and grab is ankles, initiating a sort of tug of war over Peter's body.

"Help!" he shouted to his other companions.

Instantly, Caspian was by his side, helping to pull the blonde-headed king back into the boat. Eventually, Peter was able to break free from the mermaid's grasp by clocking her in the stomach (he felt a bit guilty for hitting a girl, but he reconciled himself with the fact that they weren't _really_ girls).

"That was a close one," he said in surprise.

"You're telling me…" Edmund grumbled.

"I think it's safe to say that we should _not _be looking over the side of the boat," Elise commented wryly.

"I agree," said Caspian.

"Of course you do…" a bitter Susan mumbled under her breath.

The Telmarine King shot her a pained glance, but declined a response.

"We are nearing Apollyon," the ferryman announced.

"Where? I don't see anyth – "

Before Lucy could finish her sentence, they dropped abruptly. The boat was entering a sort of grotto, which hadn't been visible until it was they were already starting to pass through it. They sped down a dark tunnel; the only thing illuminating the cave was the reflection of the sunlight from above bouncing off the walls and the surface of the water. Eventually, they came to a sharp stop.

"Once you set foot on land, the Trials will commence. This is your last opportunity to turn back."

"We understand the risks," Peter stated confidently.

"Very well."

With that, the plank once again descended, allowing the group to step onto a rocky shore. The lighting in the cavern was an eerie blue, and the calmness of the water seemed almost unnatural.

When they were all off of the boat, it sunk once again beneath the water. It soon became increasingly obvious that there was only one direction in which they could move: forward, into an even darker area.

"Shall we get going?" Lucy asked animatedly.

"We need to be careful," Peter warned, "God knows what lies in that cave…"

"It will undoubtedly be something very, very unpleasant," Elise remarked, "Otherwise these wouldn't be called 'the Trials.'"

"Too true," he agreed.

As the light grew dimmer, the group grew closer and closer together; Robbie, in particular, grew closer and closer to his sister. Pretty soon, their surroundings became pitch-black. Elise took this opportunity to discretely interlace her fingers with Caspian's; or at least, what she thought were Caspian's.

"Uh, Elise?" Peter whispered so that only she could hear, "I think you've got the wrong person."

She quickly dropped his hand like he was on fire and was sent into a panicked fit of coughing, whilst the eldest Pevensie fought hard to contain his laughter.

"Are you all right?" Caspian asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she covered, "I think I just swallowed a bug or something." She followed the sound of his voice so that she was now indeed gripping the correct person's hand.

"Ellie, you're acting really weird," Robbie commented.

"Don't worry about it," she assured him, "It's nothing."

All of a sudden, a thick, disorienting mist fell upon them and clouded their lungs.

"It's starting!" Peter called breathlessly, "Just remember: stay true to your morals! Don't believe anything they show you!" But it was too late – his voice was drowned out by the sound of stones shifting.

"It's not real," she told Robbie frantically, "None of it is."

And then they were separated.

She was alone. Utterly alone. In the dark. And she felt woozy and almost as if she was in a dream. _Maybe there was something in that mist_, she thought worriedly.

"Welcome to the land of Apollyon," said a low, soothing, feminine voice. The sound threatened to lull Elise to sleep. "This is not quite so ominous a place as it may seem. In fact, it can be rather nice."

A beautiful, shimmering figure appeared next to a lucid pool of water. Although she was young, there was something very maternal about her.

"Come," she instructed, "lay down."

A large and luxurious bed appeared out of nowhere. It looked extremely tempting, but Elise remembered what Peter had told her: this wasn't real.

"No, I need to get back to my friends," she said resolutely.

"Why?"

"Because I need to get home."

"Where is home?"

"England."

In the pool of water, an image began to materialize; it was a picture of war-ravaged London.

"Not there, Whitford."

A picture of her house came into view.

"Are you sure this is home?"

"Yes. It's where my family lives. But enough of this – how do I get out?"

"Ah, but much has changed since you've been gone," she continued, ignoring her, "For every month you've been here, a year has passed in England. You grandmother and grandfather are no longer living."

"That's not true."

"But it is, my dear – I can show you."

The image swirled to create a new one; it was of her grandfather walking through town. All of a sudden, he stopped short and collapsed. He writhed in pain for a moment, before he went completely still.

"What? No! Make it stop! This isn't real!" Elise cried.

The woman put her hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"The doctors referred to it as a heart-attack," she said, "And your grandmother dies shortly afterward – I'm sure you don't want to see that. They say it was of a broken heart."

"I don't believe you," she said defiantly through her tears. She really didn't believe her, but any image of a family member dying – false or not – was painful to watch.

She nodded solemnly, before continuing, "And your mother has resorted to a horrible life, what with no family and such. Her drinking has gotten worse, if you can imagine it."

"You're lying."

"But no, my dear, I'm not _allowed_ to lie. Everything you see is real. So, then, why would you want to return? Surely your home is here, with your beloved."

"My beloved?" she sniffed.

"King Caspian, of course."

The image changed to one of said king, walking beside her joyously.

"If you leave, he will be heartbroken. And many horrible things will befall him."

The picture swirled again, to Caspian riding his horse. This image was much less cheerful, and there were fiery arrows shooting through the air – it was clear that he was at war. All of a sudden, one of the arrows struck him in the chest and he was sent falling from his horse.

"No!" Elise screamed desperately. This time, she shoved her hand into the pool and reflection shattered like glass.

"This has nothing to do with me staying," she said angrily. She stood up and shrugged the woman's hand off her.

"I'm finished with this. Show me the way out, or leave me alone," she demanded.

"As you wish," the woman said – there was a hint of resentment in her tone.

A doorway appeared at the far wall of the chamber, and she stepped aside so that Elise could pass through it.

"You may move on to the next Trial. But rest assured, it will be far more difficult than this one, and the third will be even more impossible. You still may turn back."

"No thank you," she said harshly. Without another word, she walked through to the next chamber.

_(Meanwhile)_

Edmund stood his ground firmly as an aged figure approached him. In front of the old man was a large oak table, illuminated by candlelight.

"Come, King Edmund, come," the man said in a calm, kindly tone.

Edmund began to move forward before he even realized what he was doing.

"You mustn't go on with this mission, my boy."

"And why not?" he asked petulantly.

"It will be the death of you."

"Nonsense. This is the first trial, is it? I must say, I'm a little disappointed – I'd thought it would be a bit more difficult."

The old man smiled tiredly, and a projection appeared on the table. "See for yourself, if you do not believe me," he instructed.

Edmund could do nothing but watch as an image of himself fought what appeared to be the White Witch. All of a sudden, the Witch took her icy sword and plunged it through his stomach. Edmund flinched at the sight of this, and subconsciously put his hand on the spot, as if to make sure that he was all right.

Finally, when the horrible scene was over, he said, "That's a clever trick, old man, but my siblings and I have already defeated the White Witch."

He'd meant to sound confident, but the picture he'd just seen had disturbed him more than he would have liked to let on.

"You know better than most that it is possible for her to return. Do you no remember what happened the last time you were in Narnia?"

His thoughts raced back to the time when the werewolf had almost brought her back.

"We still defeated her. You're showing me lies."

"I cannot lie, my boy, I cannot. All that you see here is true. That is your future, if you choose to remain in Apollyon."

"I choose to remain. Now show me the way out."

"As you wish," the man said emotionlessly. Behind him, a door appeared; Edmund crossed the threshold without looking back.

_(Meanwhile)_

"Ellie?" Robbie called meekly into the dark.

"Yes, Robbie, I'm here," her voice rang musically.

He spun around to see the figure of his sister standing beside a mirror. He rushed over to her happily, and hugged her around the waist.

But he quickly realized that something was wrong. She was hugging him back, but her body was extremely cold.

"You're not Ellie," he accused, releasing her mistrustfully.

"No, I'm not, darling. But I am what your mind finds most comforting."

"How do I get out of here?" he asked.

"Why do you want to leave?"

"Because I have to – I have to get back to my sister."

"But don't you want to stay here?"

"No."

"Are you sure? Think of what you could accomplish."

Suddenly, Robbie's reflection in the mirror started to change. He grew older and older, until he appeared to be about Peter's age. There was a magnificent, jewel-encrusted crown atop his head, and he was holding a golden scepter.

"You can rule here, Robbie. You can't do that back home, can you? There's nothing left for you there."

"I've got my mum and grandma and grandpa."

"But you don't need them. You are strong – think of the adventures you could have."

"No. I need to find my sister. How do I get out of here?" His short attention span was wearing thin.

"Are you sure you want to leave?"

"Yes. Show me the way out!"

"Alright, if that's what you _truly_ want…"

The mirror disappeared and turned into a doorway. Robbie ran through quickly, eager to get away from his impostor-sister.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading everybody! I hope you all liked it. Please review :)**


	26. Chapter 25

**A/N: Okayyy so on to the next chapter! Thanks so much to EscapeTheFate-TokioHotel-Fan, shippolove844, ImaginativeSpark, TheLostHeroinesOfOlympus, Loper42, xxxxInu girlxx93839, Evy201, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, and TennisQueen12 for reviewing!**

** ImaginativeSpark - to answer your question, I haven't really considered writing for either the Harry Potter or Percy Jackson books. For Percy Jackson, it's mainly because I haven't read any of them. And I just feel like there are SO MANY Harry Potter stories, and a lot of them are good; I'm kind of afraid I'd just get lost in the crowd/I don't really have any good ideas... But I'm glad you're enjoying this story so far - thanks again for reviewing!  
**

**I hope everyone likes this chapter :)**

* * *

**Chapter XXV**

Caspian entered the next room, undaunted; he hadn't found the last trial particularly difficult and, if things continued at this pace, he was confident that they would reach the Red Sorcerer in no time.

The first thing he saw as he entered the next chamber was Elise. She was in what appeared to be some sort of living room, sitting cross-legged upon a cushy red-velvet sofa.

"Finally, I've been waiting forever!" she exclaimed. "I guess we're the first ones finished… I think we're meant to wait here until everyone else is through and move on to the next trial together."

"I see. What was the last one like for you?" he asked.

"I don't know, just some nonsense about trying to get me to stay here in Narnia," she said. She paused for a moment, before continuing, "It involved you…"

"In what sense?" he asked tentatively.

"They said, 'Don't you want to stay here with your beloved,' and then they showed a picture of you."

He nodded silently – his task had been similar.

"Caspian," she purred silkily, moving towards him like a cat, "I really wish I _could _stay here with you."

"Likewise," he said gruffly. He already knew this.

And she was now very close.

"I think, Caspian," she sighed deeply, "I-I think that I should tell you something." She was right up against him now, and her blue eyes were boring into him earnestly.

"Yes?"

"I-I think," she paused, "I think I'm in love with you."

Taken completely aback, he opened his mouth to respond; but she didn't let him.

Instead, her lips were on his and her fingers were running through in his thick hair. She tasted exquisite – intoxicating, even. And the things she was doing with her mouth – he had no idea anyone or any_thing_ could make him experience such feelings.

She pulled away for air, before lightly trailing her soft lips down his jaw line and finally to his neck. After finding a spot that she was particularly fond of, she began to nip at the sensitive flesh. The warmth of her breath was driving him insane.

"Elise," he groaned desperately, his eyes involuntarily fluttering shut, "the others… They could be out any m-" his voice hitched in his throat "-moment."

"That's the fun of it," she whispered seductively, her lips tickling his ear, "Plus, it's not like we'll have this opportunity again…"

She made an excellent point.

He suddenly regained feeling in his hands and put them to good use by bringing her face away from his neck; he kissed her hard on the mouth, with more ferocity than he thought himself capable of.

Emboldened by his avid reciprocations, she slowly snaked her palms down his chest began to un-tuck his shirt. She then proceeded to move her hands underneath the tunic, flush against his muscular chest and stomach.

"Elise," he protested again feebly. His head lulled back and he let out noise that he'd never heard himself make before. She had no idea what she was doing to him…Or maybe she did… But none of that mattered…

He was trying very hard to resist her, but his judgment was becoming increasingly clouded and such an endeavor was becoming nothing short of impossible. Every single nerve in his being felt as if it were on fire.

However, as her hands began to drift tantalizingly southward and play with the fastenings on his britches, he was brought back to reality in a very jarring sense. He knew that if he didn't stop her now, he might not be able to as things proceeded even further; despite his screaming body, he pushed her away gently and begged, "Elise, really, we can't…"

"Why not?" she pouted. Sweet Alsan, she really wasn't making things easy for him.

But then he noticed something in her face – something was off. There was a subtle lilt to the corners of her mouth and eyes that hadn't been there before. It made her more attractive, but in a very devilish way.

He let his guard down as he scrutinized this small change, and it wasn't long before her deft hands were tugging at his clothing once again. He urgently gripped her wrists and held her an arm's length away from him.

"I said stop."

"You're no fun," she whined, "I thought you cared about me."

"I care – I care about Elise." His voice cracked, and it was apparent that he still hadn't quite recovered from the prior events.

She made a confused face. "I am Elise, silly – what's the matter with you?"

He shook his head resolutely; "You're not Elise," he said, "I can see through your deceitful guise."

She cocked her head to the side and asked, "Hm. What gave it away?"

He didn't answer.

"She wasn't doing it for you? How about this…" Her face began to morph into Susan's, and she tried to kiss him again.

He dodged her nimbly and commanded, "Stop."

"Still no? How about…" She changed shape again, this time into a beautiful blonde woman that he had never seen before.

However, by this time, Caspian was extremely put off.

"How do I get out of here," he demanded.

She crossed her arms insolently over her _ample_ chest and said, "You really want to leave?"

He nodded slowly.

"I can't tempt you at all? Not even a little romp? You are such a _handsome _fellow."

"How do I leave?" he asked bluntly, ignoring her lewd comments.

"_Fine_," she sighed. A staircase leading downwards appeared by her feet. "Down there, hun," she said.

Just as he was about to begin his descent she said, "Good luck, kid. You're gonna need it."

_(Meanwhile)_

After passing through the doorway – and presumably onto the next Trial – Peter was faced with the sight of his comrades.

"I can't believe you're the last one, Peter," Lucy joked, "You must be losing your touch."

"You all finished before I did?"

"Yeah," Edmund answered. "But don't worry, we haven't been waiting for that long – Susan apparently had a right hard time with the last task."

Peter looked over to his sister, whose face was blotchy and tear-stained.

"Why? What happened, Su?" he asked gently.

"It was horrid," she sniffed.

"What happened?" he repeated.

"I can't tell you in front of _them_," she said acidly, motioning to Elise and Caspian.

"Honestly, Susan, you need to just get over yourself," Elise snapped angrily.

"I've had it with you two – what did I do to deserve being treating in such an atrocious fashion?" she spat back.

"Su, calm down – just let it go," he said, trying to placate her.

However, he couldn't help but glare at Caspian and Elise. He couldn't believe that the Telmarine King – his _friend_ – could betray his sister in such a way, especially not for someone who was so cruel. Couldn't they see that Susan had already been hurt enough? Why did they feel the need to rub her face in it?

"You're a spoiled brat," said the eldest d'Orsay, "You need to just accept that you can't have everything you want."

"Shut up," he told her, defending his sister.

"Don't talk to her like that," Caspian said, now becoming involved in the quarrel.

"Then tell her to stop yourself – can't you see that Susan's been through enough as it is? She doesn't need the two of you verbally abusing her on top of everything."

"Well, Elise has a point – she _is _acting like a spoiled brat."

"Oh, that's rich coming from you, Mister 'I can have whatever girl I want and not worry about the consequences.'"

"It wasn't like that."

"Oh, wasn't it? All I know is that back home Susan talked about you constantly, and when she finally gets to see you again you're with that-that _floozy_ of a girl."

"Don't call her that!" Caspian growled dangerously, "_You're_ not even supposed to be here – you were _banished, _remember? _I'm_ in charge now. _I'm_ the king."

"Only because I _gave_ you the throne."

"Oh, thank you so much," he said sarcastically. "You're nothing," he said more seriously, "Just some silly boy from England who had to come here to learn to be a man. I did it all on my own. You know nothing about what I've been through – your parents shipped you off to safety because they knew that you couldn't take care of yourself. Mine are _dead_. I vanquished my uncle who wanted to kill me when I was _thirteen._ You're nothing but a weak little child in comparison to me."

"Say that again," Peter challenged, drawing his sword. "I'll show you who the child is."

His anger was growing with each word Caspian said – he didn't _really_ want to fight him, but if he said anything else he wouldn't be able to control himself.

"You think you can beat me?" the other taunted, drawing his own sword.

"I _know_ I can beat you."

"Go, then – I'll even let you make the first move," he said condescendingly.

Peter was now almost blinded by his anger, but he knew that he should take the high road.

"I'm not going to fight you."

"Why not? Are you scared?"

"I'm not going to," he repeated through gritted teeth. He had never had to fight so hard to restrain himself.

"Come on!" he commanded.

Something was awry – he had never seen Caspian so argumentative.

"Look how he's speaking to you, Peter," Susan interjected, "Are you going to let him talk to you like that?"

And that's how he _knew_ something was wrong; Susan would never instigate a fight, no matter what.

"No. This isn't right. This is just an illusion."

"Have you gone mad? This is very real. Come on, fight me!"

"No. I'm ready for the next Trial. I've won – I've seen through the trick. Now let me go."

Caspian looked at him angrily, but seemed to be unable to keep up the pretense. Jaw clenched, he stepped aside to reveal a downward spiraling staircase.

_(Meanwhile)_

The room that Lucy entered was empty, save for Edmund and a tall mirror.

"Lu, look at what I've found," he said, motioning for her to come look in the mirror.

"What is it?"

"It's some sort of magic mirror. I think it shows us what we want most, I think."

"Why is it here?"

"Dunno. Maybe as a reward for completing the first Trial?"

"I suppose that makes sense… What did you get?"

He smiled sheepishly and procured from his pocket a pouch of jewels

"Edmund," she scolded.

"Hey, nothing bad happened," he replied defensively.

She rolled her eyes and looked in the mirror; she was startled by what she saw, and jumped back quickly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You can't see it?"

He shook his head; "It just looks like your normal reflection to me."

But what she saw was far from her normal reflection; gazing back at her was Susan. She studied herself and spun around a couple of times, and her sister's body mimicked her motions.

She looked beautiful; taller, thinner, with richer hair, brighter eyes, and fuller lips. She would now be able to have a fraction of the attention given to her older sibling. All her friends fawning over how pretty she was, all the boys chasing after her - it could finally be hers.

No longer would she have to stand to the side and watch as Mrs. Redlow, the tailor, went on and on about how "Susie has such a wonderful figure," or, "how the clothes hang just perfectly on her," while she would tell Lucy that she "wished she would fill out a bit more so that her frame wasn't so painfully awkward."

"You took the money and nothing happened?" she asked cautiously.

"Nope, nothing."

"You're sure."

"Mhm."

"How did you take it?"

"I just reached in – my hand went through."

She lifted her hand to do what he said, but she stopped at the last second.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"This just feels wrong…" She couldn't be Susan. It wasn't right. She was born as she was for a reason, she just had yet to figure out what it was.

"It's fine, trust me."

"Yeah, but… I don't know. Something about it just feels weird."

"Stop being such a scaredy-cat," he said lightly.

"I'm not going to do it," she said, giving him an un-amused look. "Let's just go on to the next Trial."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

"Okay, if you're positive… I can't force you."

"I'm sure. Let's just go."

With that, they both headed down a staircase that Lucy hadn't noticed before.

_(Meanwhile)_

Susan entered the next chamber to see Lucy sitting in an armchair, reading a thick book.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

The younger girl picked her eyes up from the pages and replied, "Waiting for everyone else."

"You were the first one finished?"

"Mhm."

"Whatcha reading?"

"Come look – it's some sort of map or something."

Susan did as her sister instructed. On the pages, there was a chart of all of their names.

"What's it for?" she asked.

"I don't know… I think it's showing how everyone is doing so far."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because look – here's you and me, and here's everyone else," she said, pointing to their names on the paper. Indeed, the names "Susan" and "Lucy" were in a separate bracket.

"I want to try something…" Lucy muttered to herself.

Using her finger, she dragged Edmund's name over to their bracket. Suddenly, Edmund appeared in the room.

"Whoa, what happened?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Lucy's found some sort of special map thing," Susan replied.

"If you can move people forward," Lucy started conspiratorially, "I bet you can move people backwards as well."

"Do you mean…" her sister began. "No, that's not fair…"

Lucy smiled mischievously; "I haven't said anything."

"No, but I know what you're thinking. She may be horrid, but she doesn't quite deserve that…"

"I don't even want to know what you girls are getting into," Edmund commented.

"But you're so much better than she is," Lucy continued, ignoring her brother, "I mean, don't you just want to show her?"

"I know I am, but still…"

"You're prettier, smarter, so much better for Caspian…"

"You're telling me!" she said irately, "I just don't understand why he doesn't see it! I mean, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? I'm _much_ better suited for him…"

"Of course you are. And if you just moved her back… It would look like she failed the first task. I mean, how humiliating would that be?"

"True…"

"I'm sure she could try going through again, it would just look like it took her two tries. Plus, if she can't, we can always move her here ourselves after everyone else has arrived. Then it would look like you're the hero, et cetera…"

"You know, Lu, that's not such a bad idea…"

"I know it's not – it's brilliant!"

"But it's kind of poor form…"

"But who will ever know? You know we wouldn't tell anyone, right, Ed?"

"Yeah, whatever…"

"See? Just do it…"

Susan narrowed her eyes at her sister skeptically.

"I'm surprised at you," she said, "You're usually not so devious…"

Lucy didn't respond at first; "I mean, you should only do it if you want to," she said finally.

Susan had only been joking, but Lucy response sounded like it had been calibrated to seem more characteristic of her typical manner of speaking. It was odd.

"I was only kidding about the whole devious thing…"

"Oh! Then you should totally do it."

"No, I don't think I will," she said, now fully suspicious.

"Suit yourself," she said coyly.

"I mean, what would be the point?" she prodded.

"You'd get your honor back, of course."

"Really?"

"Yeah, isn't that what you want?"

"I've never told you that I wanted that…"

"No, but I'm your sister – I can tell."

"Can you?"

"Mhm."

"Then you'll know that this is what I want."

Without further ado, Susan took the book from Lucy and moved her own name onto the next round.

* * *

**A/N: Alrighty, so sorry if the first part was a little raunchy for some of you (this _is _rated T, so hopefully I haven't overstepped any boundaries...) but I was trying to make each of the characters I wrote about struggle with one of the seven deadly sins, just in case I didn't do a good job conveying that (i.e. lust, wrath, envy, and pride - which left sloth, greed, and gluttony for Elise, Edmund, and Robbie, respectively). I won't lie to you, though – I really did enjoy writing the Caspian/Elise scene ;p (what can I say, I'm a pervert – especially when it comes to Ben Barnes). I didn't write about everyone because, as you can see, this was already really long and I wrote about Robbie and Elise in the last chapter, so I thought this sufficed...? I didn't want it to get too tedious, but I still wanted to show each person's individual struggle at one point or another.**

**Also, I kind of stole some of this stuff from other sources (the Mirror of Erised belongs to J.K. Rowling! And the Lucy/Susan dynamic was mentioned in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I believe...) because I'm not creative. Props to the rightful owners!**

**So yeah. Now they're going to the third Trial! Please review and let me know what you think! :)**

**P.S. I know I rag on Susan a lot, so I'm sorryyyyy... I just can't help it.**


	27. Chapter 26

**A/N: Hello again, everyone! Thanks so much to shippolove844, Loper42, angel-unknown, myinnervoice, Nankita Durante, Evy201, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Psyche101, and TennisQueen12 for reviewing! I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

**Chapter XXVI**

Elise wound down her wrought-iron staircase at an almost inhuman speed. By the time she had reached the bottom, she was nearly sent flying into a firmly rooted masculine figure. In fact, she did crash into him, but she managed to stop herself before completely bulldozing him over.

"Caspian!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Elise," he said suspiciously. It sounded like a question.

"Caspian?"

"Elise, is it really you?"

"I should be asking you the same thing! I'm not falling for this again… What was my first impression of you?"

"Are you testing me?" he asked incredulously.

"Just answer the question!"

"You were afraid of me. What was _your_ first impression of _me_?"

"You can't be serious…"

He didn't reply, but instead cocked his head to the side expectantly.

"You thought I was pretty," she began with a blush, "but my clothes were dirty."

And there was the Elise he knew; the pink tinge that spread itself across her cheeks was unmistakable. He grinned, before pulling her into a relieved embrace.

"What were your tasks?" she asked.

He released her abruptly and cleared his throat. "Um, well, the first one had to do with dissuading me from pressing on."

She nodded solemnly. "Mine as well."

Luckily, Peter appeared before she had time to ask about the second.

"You two," was all he said.

"You don't seem very happy to see us," Caspian commented lightly.

"Forgive me if my last task didn't exactly portray you in the most flattering manner. It _is _really you guys, isn't it?"

"Indeed, it is."

Soon, Robbie appeared as well; he hobbled down the steps in such a way that worried Elise, and she rushed over to see if he was all right.

"So. Much. Chocolate," he managed.

"What?"

"I didn't even realize how much I'd had until it was too late. If I ever see another – " he made a face as if he might be sick.

"You look positively green," his sister commented. "I thought you loved choc – "

"Don't," he cut her off, "don't say the word."

Lucy landed happily at the bottom of her staircase, before looking back up the stairs in bewilderment.

"Where's Edmund?" she asked.

"Whoever you saw up there," Peter began, "they weren't real – it was just an illusion."

"What? But he seemed so normal…"

"Peter," Caspian started cautiously, "what exactly did I do that's got you so flustered?" He needed to make sure that their tasks hadn't been similar…

"I don't know, you were just being a right git – I think I was supposed to not kill you."

The other looked at him in unabashed surprise, before countering lightly, "As if you could." However, despite the fact that Peter struggling _not_ to kill him was a very distressing notion, Caspian felt relief flood into his chest – no, their tasks had most definitely been quite different.

"Why does Robbie look so sick?" Lucy asked.

"His had something to do with eating chocolate…" Elise answered vaguely.

"What did everyone else have to do?" Peter just asked as Edmund and Susan descended the same staircase.

"I think I failed," Edmund said as his entrance comment.

"Obviously not if you're here, silly," Lucy said.

"No, I'm pretty certain that Su saved me – she moved me ahead with some weird map thing. You were there too, Lu, don't you remember? Speaking of which, how did you get down here before us?"

"I don't think that was really Lucy," Susan said.

"What do you mean? Lucy, tell her you were there."

"I don't have any idea what you two are talking about."

"See?" Susan quipped to her brother.

"But she was there! Trying to get you to move E-"

"I think we've established that she wasn't there!" Susan asserted forcefully.

"Why do you say you failed, Ed?" Peter asked.

"Well, you see, there were these gold coins…"

"Say no more. It's a good thing Susan was able to do that."

"What was your challenge, Elise?" Lucy asked.

"I had to escape some sort of nightmare… It's harder than it sounds, alright? I mean, I had to wake myself up and everything and I think I might have been drugged. It was difficult," she explained defensively.

"I notice a pattern here, if I'm not mistaken," Peter remarked.

"What do you mean?" asked Lucy.

"We've got Robbie, who couldn't stop eating, Elise, who couldn't wake up, Edmund, who apparently couldn't keep himself from stealing, and me – I had to keep from getting angry. Don't you see the pattern?"

"It's the Seven Deadly Sins!" Susan exclaimed.

"Precisely."

"We're missing envy, pride, and… Oh dear – lust?"

There was a very awkward silence, which was broken by Robbie's blameless inquisition of: "What's that?"

"Nothing," Elise said hastily.

However, Robbie was certainly clever enough to figure out that it was _not_ "nothing," given the reactions of his older, more cosmopolitan companions.

"I hope to God it wasn't you, Lu," Edmund joked.

"I believe mine was envy," she said scientifically.

"Don't look at me," Susan said defensively, "I had pride."

"Which leaves…" Edmund said slyly. If only his comment had been accompanied by a drum roll.

Peter let out a sharp, jovial laugh and clapped Caspian hard on the back. "Nicely done, old chap, nicely done," he teased.

It now made sense why he had been acting strange earlier. Elise could not have been a darker shade of scarlet; however, while she was decidedly quite embarrassed, another, more debauched part of her soul was strangely pleased. She didn't know whether to be surprised by or ashamed of her own emotions.

But there was a disconcerting seed of dejection mingled with these other foreign sentiments: her image had obviously not been alluring enough to make him give in, otherwise he wouldn't have been there.

"I think we should get going," the Telmarine King said, struggling to maintain a shred of dignity. He didn't dare make eye contact with Elise.

Before anyone had the opportunity to respond, however, a translucent, shimmering woman appeared. She didn't seem real or even tangible – almost like a hologram.

"Congratulations, Children of Adam," her voice rang, "you have all made it to the Final Trial. As you no doubt have discovered, the past two challenges have been purely psychological. This will not be the case in the next Trial."

"Your mental as well as physical limits will be put to the test, and your wits will be pushed past their breaking points. The dangers will be grave, and above all, life-threatening. It is important that you are aware of this information before you proceed, though you will not be permitted to rescind your participation; this is not like the other Trials: you must enter this task."

"You have been allowed to re-join your companions," she continued, "but you will need to complete the Trial individually. This may be the last time you see your friends, so make the most of these coming moments. There is a door for each of you; you will know which yours is as soon as you see it. You have as much time as you need to bid your good-byes, but remember that prolonging things will not make them any easier."

"Good luck, Children of Adam," she said conclusively, "You will surely be needing it."

With this final, ill-omened conclusion, she disappeared into thin air.

After a moment, Edmund commented facetiously, "Well, that was incredibly encouraging."

"Caspian," Elise hissed quietly, gripping his arm, "how is Robbie supposed to overcome a physical challenge?"

He wanted to ask how _she _was supposed to overcome a physical challenge, but instead replied, "I think perhaps that you don't have enough faith in him. He got past the last two, didn't he?"

In reality, he too was worried about what the outcome of the next Trial would be. It wasn't only Robbie and Elise he was worried about, but also Lucy and Susan. He knew that Elise and Susan would _probably _be able to handle themselves, but the other two presented a greater source for concern. Robbie was barely old enough to stay awake past ten o'clock, and Lucy was about as vicious as a lamb.

Elise didn't seem to be placated by his response.

"I think these Trials are meant to be very personal," he reasoned, "so whatever danger lies in store for your brother will probably be scaled down to something that is manageable for him. It wouldn't make sense to make the task _utterly_ impossible."

This seemed to be a better answer, but still she pressed her tongue to the inside of her cheek contemplatively.

"I suppose," she permitted mistrustfully. She snapped her eyes to meet his; they were filled with a wild sort of distress. She had clearly taken the strange woman's warning to heart.

"Don't fret," he said quietly, trying to cheer her up.

"How can you say such a thing?" she wondered mournfully, "What if this is the last time we see each other?"

"Such a moment is imminent." He'd come off much harsher than he had intended to, but neither could deny the truth in his words.

She opened and closed her mouth slightly, but couldn't seem to generate any sort of retort. It was only when he noticed dewy tears forming at the corners of her eyes that he attempted to soften the blow.

"I hadn't meant for it to sound so… concrete," he said ruefully.

She quickly looked over her shoulder to see their comrades discoursing frantically, before turning back to Caspian. She embraced him tightly once more; as she started to pull away, she whispered in his ear, "I wish we were alone."

This desire was expressed quite innocently, but possible implications sent chills down his spine. He couldn't help but agree, and suddenly her false counterpart's words raced through his mind: they really might not have the opportunity to "properly" say goodbye.

His eyes swiftly darted to see the distracted Pevensies and Robbie; he pressed his lips to hers deliberately. The kiss was short, but full of meaning. It wasn't until he felt a wetness on his cheeks that he realized she was crying. Even after they pulled apart, she continued to cling to his shirt to the point where her knuckles began to turn white. It was clear that she was struggling to repress some sort of emotional breakdown, and he did what he could to calm her down.

"Let's just get this over with." He sounded like he was in complete control, but internally he was equally vexed by anxiety. It was then that he made a delusional promise to himself: if he did not see Elise once he reached the Red Sorcerer, he would kill him.

Peter cleared his throat loudly. "Are the pair of you finished, then?" he asked impatiently. He really had had enough of their silly romance and the tragedy of the whole thing.

"Yeah," Elise said weakly, finally turning around to face the others.

She looked at the doors on the far side of the room for the first time, and it was immediately clear which was intended for her. The front door to Todd's Apothecary stood menacingly on the far right.

She also noticed the large double doors from the Telmarine castle, no doubt intended for Caspian.

And Robbie's bedroom door, which stood beside hers.

The others she could not discern, although, curiously enough, appeared to be the door to a wardrobe of some sort. Lucy began to walk towards it.

All seven of them simultaneously rested their hands on their respective doorknobs.

"On the count of three?" Peter suggested.

Elise quickly turned to her brother and said, with tears clouding her vision, "Remember that I love you more than anything, Robbie. Whatever is on the other side, you can beat it."

Frightened by her sudden show of emotion, he meekly replied, "Love you too, Ellie. But you shouldn't worry so much. We'll be fine. The good guys always win."

She smiled at him sadly, as Peter began the countdown.

On "three," the sound of a collective turning of handles rang through the air.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry to leave it at such a cliffhanger! But don't fret, the next chapter should be up fairly soon. Thanks so much for reading, and please leave a review :)**


	28. Chapter 27

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much to Psyche101, Loper42, Imaginative Spark, Amri Ishvique, TheLostHeroinesOfOlympus, shippolove844, EscapeTheFate-TokioHotel-Fan, Carlypso, Nankita Durante, Logan the Awesome, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Adriatic Rose, marydidlaugh, and Evy201 for reviewing! This chapter is SUPER long (the longest chapter I've ever posted on this site), so hopefully that's all right :)**

* * *

**Chapter XXVII**

_(**Elise**)_

Thoroughly prepared to enter combat with some atrocious monster, Elise entered the room. But her expectations were drowned in the welcoming light of a small antechamber. _What is this?_ she wondered to herself.

And then she saw it: a table with an array of weapons strewn across it. She was meant to choose one. They varied greatly, and she knew that she must choose wisely.

She immediately discounted the bow an arrow – she had never quite gotten the hang of it, and she would be much better suited to use a sword. But which type? There were many; heavy ones, light ones, long ones, and short ones. She ultimately decided upon a sort of cutlass, with the notion that it'd be easiest for her to use.

And then she made her way to the door at the back of the room. This was it. It had to be. She didn't think her adrenaline-ridden body could handle another surprise.

So, she opened the porthole to her potential demise.

Soon, she was standing alone in complete darkness. The moment she heard the click of the door closing behind her, she knew she was trapped; her sole escape had disappeared into a shadowed obscurity. But there was a faint, twisted sense of relief in the whole thing: _No more bloody waiting_.

Her previous apprehension had now been almost entirely displaced by an overwhelming sense of sheer dread. She didn't know quite what it was, but some strictly intuitive part of her was one-hundred-percent certain that she was in grave danger.

And this feeling had nothing to do with the shimmering woman's cautions.

Something moved in the blackness. It was a shuffling noise, accompanied by a rustling – it sounded like a large, furry animal. She wracked her mind, weighing the possibilities: a bear? A lion? A wolf? Given her prior experience with the latter animal, she'd rather have her opponent be one of the former.

As her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she was able to make out a faint gleam about six feet above her head.

It was unmistakable: eyes. It couldn't be anything else. But it wasn't just one eye; no, the area was much too large and the way it caught the light indicated to the contrary. It was not one eye, but a cluster of eyes.

She must have startled the creature by staring at it for such an extended amount of time, for another shuffling sound quickly followed her conclusion.

That's when it became clear that it could see her much better than she could see it, which, in itself, was extremely disconcerting.

But what was even _more_ disconcerting was the fact that she had only seen such a distinctive assemblage of eyes on one creature.

A spider.

But the scale was so off – it couldn't be…

And then she remembered her conversation with Caspian about megarachnids. And it became obvious. _Glaringly_ obvious.

She was meant to kill it, to be sure. But somewhere, deep down, in some hidden chasm of her subconscious awareness, she had always known that this day would come. That she would have to face such a creature.

Because it was her worst tangible fear.

To be sure, she feared death, she feared harm to her loved ones, and many other things infinitely more; but these worries were not easily turned hostile.

Giant spiders, on the other hand – well, giant spiders were _inherently_ hostile. They were already perfect adversaries.

Quickly, she looked again for the glimmer of the monster's eyes. She'd had enough dallying – she was just going to get this whole ordeal over with. In fact, it was almost better that she couldn't see it – she had nothing to be repulsed by.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, however, the room was suddenly illuminated.

_Fan-bloody-tastic_, she thought to herself.

The creature immediately knew that it had been revealed and let out a hellish, hissing noise – almost like a cat thrown into water, magnified tenfold.

And Elise couldn't help but add to the ruckus by letting out an appalled scream.

The thing was absolutely hideous. With long, hairy legs that looked like heinous sausages and four abominable eyes, staring at her expectantly. And then her focus went to its mouth, a ghastly, nauseating orifice that displayed horrid beads of saliva (or was it venom?) on two pointed teeth.

_(**Caspian**)_

Caspian entered the final chamber with a firm grip on his sword and a strong determination to succeed. He was confident that he could take whatever this vile place could to throw at him. He couldn't imagine anything more mentally difficult than having to resist the advances of the woman he loved. Wait, loved?

His thoughts were interrupted.

What he saw was a shock, in more ways than one.

Instead of some terrible beast, a man stood in front of him. But it wasn't just any man.

No, for the word "man" implies a sort of humanity, which this creature – this _monster _– lacked.

It was Miraz. His uncle.

"Impossible," Caspian muttered faintly.

As impossible as it may have been, he was there, standing before him in a fighting stance. He was the same age as he'd been the day that he died, and wearing the same armor, to boot; but that was where the similarities ended.

Before his death, his uncle had been beaten down; weak.

But he appeared now as sturdy as ever, with a sinister glint in his eye and an evil smirk at his lips. Although he was dead, he was very much alive.

"Far from it, my boy," he sneered.

"You're dead. I watched it happen with my own eyes – Glozelle killed you."

"You should have already realized that life and death become muddled in a place such as this. By some act of grace, I've been given another opportunity to defeat you; and this time you can't hide behind your _High King_ Peter, like the coward you are. You have to face me like a man."

"It wasn't an act of grace that led you here, it was the devil. Clearly the humiliation of losing to me is part of your punishment for a life of wickedness," the young king snarled.

"You think _you_ can defeat _me_? My, my, how you've grown! But apparently wisdom does not always come with age," he laughed heartily, "Confidence is not a good shade on you, Caspian. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, as they say. But let us continue this banter before we commence – I wish to know how my kingdom is faring."

"Infinitely better than when you reigned, to be sure," he spat acidly.

"Is that so? You are at peace, then? Enjoy it, for it is surely fleeting. A lenient ruler is never a good one. It's only a matter of time before some rebellion arises, and I'm certain that you'll be too lily-livered to squelch it. And you have a queen, then? An heir? You seem to be old enough."

Caspian said nothing, but his face betrayed the answer to these questions.

"Oh, I see – you do not. Well, well, well, that's interesting. Neither? Can't get a girl to marry you? Pity. But I'm not surprised – although you'd think there would be enough social climbers to ease your troubles. But alas, what will become of your kingdom when I kill you? Who will take over?"

Finally, after all his trying, Miraz had hit a nerve. Honestly, Caspian didn't know who could take his place – Doctor Cornelius, perhaps? But he was advanced in his years, and also without an heir; there was no good substitute.

"I've worried you, have I?" he commented spitefully. "Even I didn't have a son until late in my life, but I at least could have _made do_ with you."

Caspian was now sufficiently enraged. His hatred for his uncle, his desire – his _need_ – to triumph over him, once and for all, was blinding. Even the man's memory tormented him – his actions had irreparably shaped his life forever.

It was because of him and _only_ him that his parents were dead. That he was on his own. That he had _no one_ else left in this world, and that when Elise and the Pevensies left he would be totally, utterly, and completely _alone_. That he would forever be haunted by his own inadequacy – he couldn't prevent his parents' deaths, and he hadn't even been the one to avenge them. And worst of all, the wretched man _knew this_ and took pleasure in it.

But now was his chance.

"That's enough," Caspian commanded with a quiet ferocity, "No more of this talk – it's time to fight. This time I'm going to kill you myself."

_(**Robbie**)_

For the past few years of his life, Robbie had been only vaguely aware of his age. He knew that he couldn't reach things that most people could, and that his height was lacking, even for his age, but he didn't seem to comprehend that there were people on earth who knew _more_ than he did. Factually, perhaps, he knew that his intelligence was relatively limited; but in matters of decision-making he was secure in his own judgment.

Which was why, naturally, he wasn't particularly fearful of the next task.

True, Elise's display of emotion had slightly unnerved him, as any sight of a panicked adult would. But he trusted himself.

It should not be mistaken, however, that he was cocky. For there is indeed a fine line between confidence and arrogance, but young Robert did not cross it.

When it came time for him to choose his weapon, he weighed his options and picked what he genuinely considered to be the best one: a dagger.

It was the smallest of his selection, but his Sunday-school classes had rightly informed him that the right choice was not always the most obvious one. Plus, clever as he was, he reckoned that there was probably a reason why it had been subtly placed amongst rows of double-edged swords and hand-held cannons.

He entered the next room with his weapon drawn, its silvery blade shimmering in the dim candlelight.

He saw a man he didn't know.

No, no, he was wrong – he _did_ know the man; in fact, it was his father! A filthy, war-beaten version of his father, but still his father. He barely remembered what he had looked like, his face had become so obscure in his memory.

"Papa?" he asked in disbelief.

"Oui, it is I, Robert."

But he would not come near him, and the young boy was too frozen in shock to move any closer.

"What are you doing here?" he squeaked.

"I – I do not know."

"But you died," he said, tears welling in his eyes, "This can't be true."

"Robbie, you – you must stay away from me. Give me the dagger," he ordered. His sentences were short, forced.

The child backed further away. "Why," he questioned mistrustfully.

"You don't – you don't think I'm going to hurt you? No, no, no, mon petit, I would never do such a thing. It is for your own protection. Something bad – something very bad – is about to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"I am not… as I was."

"I don't understand," Robbie said, shaking his head.

"Just please give me the dagger."

"No. This isn't real. It can't be. Ellie told me not to believe any of it."

"Elise? Your sister is here?" All of a sudden, he was wracked by a violent convulsion. "Robbie, please, quickly – give me the dagger!" he pleaded frantically.

"What's happening?"

Another convulsion. Something was horribly, horribly, amiss. His father… he was… changing; his nails, his teeth, his hair. It took him a moment to put together what was happening, but he quickly recalled Elise's bedtime tales.

Werewolves.

They, in particular, had plagued his nightmares; she described them in such grisly, vivid detail. Every aspect of their macabre transformation; every foul, tortured noise they made.

His father's condition was unmistakable.

"Robbie, leave!" he half-shouted, half-howled desperately.

The boy didn't need to be told twice, but there was no escape.

_(**Lucy**)_

Violence had never been Lucy's forte. Somehow, over the course of all the time she'd spent in Narnia, she had never needed to use physical means to solve a problem (save a couple of times, but she'd detested it). She was, for all intents and purposes, a pacifist. But it appeared that this was no longer a viable course of action.

She was led into a room where she was meant to choose her weapon, but she still had Father Christmas' dagger. And so she pressed on.

She couldn't imagine what the next room had in store for her; she really didn't have any hidden, paralyzing fears that could be easily exploited.

In fact, she even might have ventured to say that she was curious as to what she was going to face.

As soon as she entered the room, she was nearly blindsided by a furious attack. She rolled dexterously out of the way in the nick of time, but her dress hadn't escaped unscathed. However, before she was able to assess what damage had been done – or even what had assaulted her – another attack swiftly followed.

It was most definitely an animal; a bear, as she came to notice. Like the one she'd seen last time she came to Narnia.

"Stop!" Lucy cried, "I mean you no harm!"

The only reply she received was an incoherent roar.

She hadn't _really_ expected her tactic to work, but she figured it was worth a try.

The bear had taken a break from its ferocious swipes, and now stood menacingly on its back legs with its sharp claws on full display.

Poor Lucy had already made it to the other side of the room, but was dismayed to find that there was no exit.

"I made it! I got past him!" she screamed hopelessly, banging on the wall.

Her sorrowful attempts at escape only drew attention to her, however, and the bear once again targeted her.

"_Please_," she begged.

Her primary doubt was no longer whether or not she could mentally bring herself to kill her opponent, but whether or not she could _physically_ commit the deed. Her sense of self-preservation was surely about to kick in, for the bear had its claw raised, prepared to deliver another deadly blow.

_(**Peter**)_

Peter, in all honesty, was excited to fight. He had been getting antsy since the start of the journey, and was glad to have the chance to finally _do_ something.

However, prepared as he was for combat, he was _not _– nor ever could have been – prepared for what he saw on the other side of the door.

It was someone – a man – that he didn't recognize at first. He was blonde, strongly built, and bearded, and at first Peter thought he might have been his father.

But as he grew closer, he realized that this was not the case; it was _him_. An older version of himself, true enough, but still him.

And he hadn't the slightest idea _why_.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Don't you recognize me?" the voice was a bit deeper, but it was still decidedly his.

Silence.

"I'm _you_."

"But why?"

He said nothing, but a small smirk played at his lips; it was as if he knew something that the younger version of Peter did not, and this successfully irked him.

"_Why_?" he repeated.

"Why do you think?"

"I wouldn't have asked you if I knew."

However, his hostility towards the older Peter, unwarranted as it may seem, was something – he found – that he was not able to control. And this bothered him. Why should he have any reason to dislike himself? Why should he feel the need to defeat himself? It didn't make sense.

But there was something inherently _wrong_ about them being there, together. Like the laws of the universe had been broken so beyond resolution that he could no longer tolerate it.

"I'm you, yes?"

He nodded sharply.

"But there's one main difference," he prodded, "What is it?"

"I don't know, you're older?" he asked impatiently.

"Correct. So I'm not quite _you_, really, I'm –"

"What I'm to become," Peter finished.

"Precisely."

"But why should I fear you."

"I don't know, you tell me. This is _your_ Trial, is it not?"

"I believe _our_ would be the proper pronoun."

"Do you know what people like you – people like _us_ – go on to become?"

He didn't respond.

"Great," said the older Peter, "We become great. And do you know how greatness is achieved? Through sacrifices. Both your own and those of others."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with everything, don't you see? You know this, deep down – you know. And you accept it. _Deep down_ – I know, because I'm you – deep down you would do anything – make any sacrifice – to be great."

"What's the problem with that?"

"The isn't one."

"So, then, what's the conflict?"

"I'm your worst _fear_, Peter, figure it out."

He was growing frustrated. What was the problem? What was the problem with trying to do your best, with trying to be the best you can possibly be? There wasn't one. This "expense of others" garbage – what was he playing at?

"You would _kill_ to be great," older Peter taunted.

He was broken from his thoughts. "No, I wouldn't," he refuted with a mild sense of confusion.

"_I _would, therefore so would you."

"Well, if the person is evil…"

"That's how it starts, yes."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm merely trying to show you – ambition is a sickness. A _wonderful_ sickness, to be sure, but once you're infected there is no cure."

"There's nothing wrong with ambition."

"When it's not hurting anyone, perhaps."

"And I have no intention of hurting anyone. Therefore…"

"Oh, but you will, don't you see? How do you think Miraz, Caspian's uncle, started his moral descent, hm? With ambition; that seed of hope, that _promise_ of something more. And look at what he ended up doing."

"Don't compare me to him," Peter snarled.

"Your anger only stems from denial. I wouldn't have appeared here if you didn't know this deep down about yourself. Think about it. Think about Miraz. He killed his own brother. Would you do it? Would you kill Edmund, if you need to? Susan? Even Lucy?"

"Shut up!"

He was wrong. Utterly wrong. His siblings were what he cared about most in the world, and he would never do anything to hurt them. Ever. This horrid, beastly version of himself was wrong, and he needed to be silenced before he spouted out any more despicable ideas. So he lunged at him with his sword.

_(**Susan**)_

Susan paced the antechamber nervously; she'd already chosen her weapon (her characteristic bow and arrows, of course), but was not yet prepared to face her opponent.

She was thinking frantically, trying to fabricate some sort of plan.

But she needed to know her enemy, so her first contemplations were aimed at identifying who or _what _that might be. She knew it was a) something physically imposing and b) something personally frightening.

So what could it be?

But she was wasting time; the others would all be finished before her, and they might fear the worst. She certainly didn't want them to worry unnecessarily. So, she decided that she was as ready as she would ever be and entered the second room.

It was… odd.

It vaguely resembled her bedroom at home, but was decidedly more elaborate. There was a sofa, a bed, an end table, and a vanity.

She didn't understand what the challenge was.

"Hello?" she called apprehensively.

Nothing. Just the echo of her own voice.

She decided to explore the room; perhaps she would discover some clue as to what she was meant to accomplish.

Something wasn't right – well, _obviously_ something wasn't right, but it was almost as if the room was trying too hard to be comforting. And she had the distinctive feeling that she was being watched; hunted.

All of a sudden, she heard a faint, ghostly laugh and spun around immediately; there was nothing.

"Who's there?" she demanded fearfully. Ah yes, the invisible opponent. It made sense – how could she use her logic without the ability to analyze her enemy? How could she fight what she couldn't see?

The lamp on the end table was knocked to the ground and shattered into hundreds of shards. The shrill noise put her on edge – the manifestations were increasing in magnitude.

"Show yourself."

Another giggle; it was almost childlike, but somehow threatening at the same time.

And then an idea came to her: although she couldn't see her attacker, perhaps she could see its reflection. Hastily, she went over to the only mirror in the room and sat in front of it.

The seconds passed like hours, and she saw nothing that arose her suspicion. The noises, the movements – they had all ceased. There room was unnaturally calm.

She turned slightly, and that's when she saw its reflection out of the corner of her eye: it – or, rather, _she _– had been seated directly behind her.

And the creature was ghastly. She would have been a mere skeleton, had there not been a layer of gray skin stretched over her bony frame. She had long, white hair and a pair of beady black eyes, which matched her tattered black cloak.

Susan screamed in surprise and stood abruptly, knocking over her chair.

She spun around completely, but the room appeared to be empty; so, she looked in the mirror again. The thing began pulling at her brown hair with her bony, talon-like fingers.

_(**Edmund**)_

Having chosen a suitable sword, King Edmund the Just made his way into the room where he was to face his opponent.

He couldn't say that he was particularly shocked by what he saw.

"I just can't escape you, can I?" he mumbled darkly.

"My dear Edmund, is that any way to greet me?" scolded the beautifully sinister White Witch, Jadis. She was just as he remembered: pale, harsh-looking – almost androgynous – but somehow striking. And calm. Blasé. Almost indifferent – if he didn't know better, he might think that she didn't care about the outcome of this little altercation in the least.

"How many times must I defeat you?"

"I do not know, child, but clearly my impact on you soul has been lasting."

There was more truth in her words than she knew; to him, she represented every negative aspect of his being. His obsessive desire to be great, his greed – all his bad traits personified. She was his every weakness.

"Let's just get this over with, shall we?"

Edmund had always been the most intelligent of his siblings (they were all intelligent, to be sure, but he in particular had always prided himself in being especially witty and clever). As such, he knew himself quite well, and he knew that the less Jadis was allowed to say, the better. Her opportunity to say something exceptionally insightful or hurtful (or both) had to be diminished as much as possible.

But there was something else in the forefront of his mind: the image he had seen in the first Trial.

Could it have truly been a prophecy? Was it inevitable? Was he _really _meant to die?

But it was the mere presence of Jadis, he told himself, that was making him doubtful. He was reverting back to a lesser man – a boy. The boy he'd been when he first encountered her. He needed to stop it. By stopping her. Forever. No matter the price, it had to be done.

He would not lose his life here, not like this. He _would_ prevail.

But his stomach – the spot where she (in the image, that is) stabbed him – it burned, a reminder of what fate may await him.

_Hell_, he said to himself, _I've survived one stab wound; I'll be able to take another._

With that, he bravely (and perhaps even foolishly) prepared himself to make the first attack.

* * *

_(**Elise**)_

Poor Elise hadn't any idea what to do; her mind no longer seemed to be working.

But the spider hissed and sent her into action, forcing her to scramble backwards out of self-preservation. She slashed at it blindly with her sword, slicing one of its legs. However, it hardly seemed mortally wounded, and was likely more enraged than injured.

Its teeth were huge – it could easily… Good God, she didn't even want to think about it.

It was charging towards her again, its legs moving in an unearthly motion. She ducked out of the way with little time to spare. It turned its face towards her furiously, and she was struck with an excellent idea; she drove her sword into one the creature's eyes, sending it into a frenzy of pain. While it was distracted, she did the same to the others.

By this time, it was little more than a blind mass of flailing limbs. As it was writhing on the floor, she seized the opportunity to use one of its legs as a stepping stool and drive her sword into the top of its head, successfully putting it to rest. What she didn't realize until later, however, was that somewhere in the process of killing the spider, one of its teeth had nicked her upper arm.

A door appeared across from where she entered, and she passed through it as quickly as she could.

_(**Caspian**)_

Caspian had been the first to attack, and he fairly launched himself at Miraz's expectant form.

Their swords met in a metallic clash.

After several minutes of sparring, his uncle commented dryly, "I see your swordplay has improved greatly."

Caspian said nothing, but continued his heated assaults. As he struck his armored torso with a clang, he realized that his uncle was much better protected than he was. True, he wore a thick leather brigandine and chainmail, but he was still more exposed than his opponent.

His blow had not been inconsequential, however, for he at least knocked the wind out of the older man.

But he quickly recovered and fought back furiously with a renewed energy; he was finally taking him seriously.

Caspian, most pleased to have angered his uncle, momentarily let his guard down. This earned him a slash on the forearm; he hissed in pain and grabbed at the wound, trying to stop the blood from flowing.

But he didn't have time to properly bandage himself up – his uncle was quickly at him again with more attacks.

However, this time he dodged them easily. He had always been light on his feet, and his uncle was little more than a blundering powerhouse; his advantage lay in movement. He ducked out of the way of another blow, before issuing a slash to Miraz's arm between the cracks in his armor.

The older man howled in agony and snarled at him like a rabid animal, before charging.

This was exactly the moment that Caspian had been waiting for; he adroitly moved aside, allowing his uncle to tire himself out. When he came at him again, he dealt a strong blow to his side, knocking the wind out of him once again.

Miraz was now huffing and puffing, and it was clear that Caspian had the upper hand.

He hit him again in the chest, successfully sending him flying to the ground. He walked over to the fallen figure and kicked the sword out of his hand. He put one foot on the man's chest, keeping him down, and pressed his sword to the base of his neck.

"Do it! You won't," Miraz growled.

Now, Caspian knew what the right thing to do in this situation was: it was to let his uncle live – to take the high road. But apparently that wasn't what the room wanted, for an exit had yet to materialize.

Lost in these contemplations, he failed to realize that his uncle had taken out a dagger – he could do nothing to stop it from plunging into his thigh.

He shouted in pain and nearly lost his leverage on Miraz's chest.

He knew what he had to do. If he didn't kill him now, he would be killed.

He drove his sword into his uncle's neck.

_(**Robbie**)_

Robbie's father now stood about halfway transformed in front of him. It was a horrible sight, and the process looked as if it was unbearably painful.

Little Robbie had no idea what to do. Did he really – did they really expect him – was he really meant to _kill_ his own father?

But again, he kept in mind what Elise had told him – this was all an illusion. It wasn't his father. It was just some man. Some man from one of her stories; from his imagination. That was all it was – his imagination and memory had just gotten mixed up. He needed to act like one of her dreamt-up heroes and slay the monster. The room was just trying to make it more difficult for him by giving the creature the image of his father.

But the man – the thing – his _father_ wasn't acting like he wanted to hurt him; on the contrary, he seemed very concerned with his safety. How was he supposed to kill something that didn't want to hurt him?

However, he had a feeling that his deed might soon be accomplished out of self-defense, for he was now completely transformed. He looked like neither a man nor a wolf, but appeared to be some perverse combination of the two. He had a long snout and snarling jaws, but his torso was more or less human – completely covered in hair, but still human.

The creature agilely launched itself at him in a crazed rage.

Everything happened so quickly that Robbie didn't quite know what had passed. All he knew was that he had werewolf slobber on him and the monster was lying on the ground, with the dagger protruding from its shoulder.

His attack hadn't been to a fatal location, but then it hit him: the blade had been silver. He had indeed chosen wisely.

As a door appeared nearby, he left before he could see the creature transform back into the image of his father.

_(**Lucy**)_

Lucy had only one option: to kill the bear.

And she kept this in mind as it attacked her – she was sorry, _so _sorry, but it was her only choice. She had to kill or be killed.

And she chanted it over and over in her head as she stabbed the creature: _I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry_.

At some point – she didn't know when – she killed it.

But there was no victory. There was no triumph. She was numb. And covered in blood that was not her own. And shocked and fearful and terrified by her own capabilities.

When the door appeared, she knew that she had done what was required.

But _why_? Why did she need to uncover this horrible darkness in herself? She was still only a child, but her innocence had now been ruined.

_(**Peter**)_

Peter had fought many adversaries in his relatively short life, but never would he have expected to fight himself.

He really had to say, though, he was the most difficult opponent he had ever faced; it was almost as if neither could win. Every move the other anticipated, and visa versa.

"This is going nowhere," he said, panting.

The older version of himself slashed at him angrily, but was unable to catch him.

But then something happened.

Peter tripped. And not by accident – the older Peter tripped him.

He frantically rolled out of the way as his enemy's sword narrowly missed his head.

"I would never use such a dirty trick," he said furiously.

"Wouldn't you?"

He tried to stand, but was reduced back to the ground as the older Peter swung his sword directly above his head.

So, he did what was the most sensible option: he went for his ankles.

He jumped over the blade, but, as he was coming back down to the ground, Peter stuck his foot out. Now they were both on the ground.

He jumped up quickly, and pressed his sword to the other's throat.

The older Peter dropped his sword in defeat, but something in his eyes was smiling.

A door appeared at the other end of the chamber.

"Looks like you've won."

"Looks like it," he replied, walking towards it without turning his back; he didn't trust himself.

_(**Susan**)_

Susan was about to attack the woman, when the mirror shattered. Her only salvation was lost.

A bow and arrow required great accuracy to be effective – how was she supposed to use it to defeat that wasn't visible?

She picked up a shard of the mirror and used it to look around; the thing was in the corner of the room, and it quickly rushed to attack her once it knew it had been revealed.

Susan didn't know what was happening. All in one moment, she was in the air, she was being pushed, she was being pulled, and she was being scratched. Naturally, she screamed in fear and slashed blindly with her shard of mirror.

She struck something and there was a sickening screech, which preceded her immediate release.

Once on solid ground, she scrambled back towards the wall. Her back it something strange, and she turned around quickly to see a doorknob protruding from the wall. She hastily left the room.

_(**Edmund**)_

Edmund hadn't exactly expected Jadis to be the best of swordfighters, but she had an advantage in that she could fly.

They had been sparring for ages, and he couldn't get a clean shot off; she would always gracefully slide out of the way before he could strike her.

"I'm growing bored," she complained finally.

"Then stop hovering up there and come down and fight me for real," he snapped.

She smirked dangerously and said, "You and I both know what will happen if I go down there, my dear boy."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why, I'll kill you."

"Don't be ridiculous. There's no way that you're going to win this."

"You saw the prophecy, did you not?"

"That wasn't a prophecy. That was nonsense."

"How did it happen, Edmund?" she asked, "Did it happen like this?"

Without any further warning, she had swooped down and driven her sword into his midriff.

Edmund sputtered in shock, red blood oozing from between his fingers; the White Witch threw her head back and cackled evilly.

But Edmund wasn't finished. With his last bit of strength, he lifted his sword; in one swipe, Jadis' severed head lay at his feet.

He felt himself moving forward towards the exit as everything started to go black.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, okay, I'm so sorry that I had to end it at such a horrible spot! Don't be too upset with me...**

**As an aside, you'll notice that I had Caspian refer to the devil... I vaguely remember there being some devil-like creature the Narnia books, but I didn't really mean to refer to that devil or the devil as in the Biblical devil - more as just an evil force. Sometimes it's hard for me to keep in mind that he is from a completely different world and therefore has a completely different background knowledge, etc. than everyone else.**

**Also, I gave some of the characters more meaningful tasks than the others... Susan and Elise's tasks are a pretty straightforward and I think Lucy's seems a bit straightforward as well, but the effect it has on her is much more profound than the others. And I really wanted to show Peter struggling with the notion of being completely grown up and changes in personality that come with age. And Caspian & Miraz and Edmund & Jadis are kind of taking care of unfinished business.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review :)**


	29. Chapter 28

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much to -my-forgotten-rose-, xxxxInu girlxx93839, Psyche101, Carlypso, shippolove844, Evy201, TheatreAddict, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, and marydidlaugh for reviewing the last beast of a chapter. Honestly, I was going to split it up over three separate ones, but I thought it would be better to keep it all together. I hope you all enjoy chapter 28! :)**

* * *

**Chapter XXVIII**

To say she was relieved would have been an understatement; Susan practically kissed the ground as she made it out of the Final Trial. But she was alone in her rejoicing – the rest of the group had yet to arrive. It was curious: there was no one else at all in the large stone room – no Red Sorcerer, no holographic woman – nothing. Perhaps something would happen once she was reunited with everyone else.

As if on cue, Lucy appeared; her clothes were in tatters and she was covered in blood.

Susan couldn't say that _she_ looked particularly well pulled-together either, with her mussed hair and scratched complexion, but she was horrifically shocked by her sister's state of disarray.

"What happened?" she asked concernedly, rushing to her. She grabbed the younger girl's shoulders, frantically searching for the source of the blood. Through all this, poor Lucy stood still as a statue. "Are you hurt?" Susan asked finally – she couldn't find a wound serious enough to have caused such damage.

Lucy shook her head mutely.

"Then what happened?" she demanded.

"I killed it," she said simply.

"You killed what?"

"A bear. Like the one we saw that one time. It was wild."

"Oh. But you're all right?"

"In a manner of speaking."

But Susan, who knew her better than anyone else, could tell that she was very far from all right. Physically, perhaps, she was unharmed. But her sister had changed.

Just then, Peter came through. He looked as if he was about to say something, but then he noticed Lucy.

"What happened?" he questioned urgently.

"It was part of her task. It's not her blood, don't worry," Susan explained.

But Peter didn't seem to want to take any chances, and began his own inspection of the young girl. He licked his finger and tried to get the blood off of her face, but it was more or less a useless venture; she was completely covered. Eventually, he gave up and simply hugged his sister in relief. She stood limp, like a ragdoll.

Then, Robbie emerged. He looked shaken, but uninjured.

"You okay?" Peter asked. He didn't really know the boy, but some odd form of paternal instinct was kicking in.

"Where's Ellie?" he questioned weakly; his voice sounded broken.

"I'm sure she'll be out in a moment," Susan said kindly. She felt bad – she wanted to comfort him, for he looked as if he was on the verge of tears.

He nodded slowly, before sinking into a sitting position and wrapping his arms around his knees.

It was Caspian who limped out next.

"Is everyone all right?" was the first thing he asked, seemingly oblivious to his own condition.

"Yes, but you're not," Peter pointed out, his tone betraying a vague concern.

"I'll be okay," he stated. He probably would be, but it still looked as if he was in a great deal of pain. The Telmarine king stood beside the youngest member of the group and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He had no idea what the child had experienced, but, whatever it'd been, it had undoubtedly taken a toll on him.

Soon, Elise appeared. Robbie leaped up as soon as he laid eyes on her, unable to contain his tears any longer.

"Shh, shh," she soothed, stroking his hair, "What's the matter? Are you all right?" She inspected him vigorously, before coming to the conclusion that he was, indeed, unscathed. What, then, could be the problem?

"This was horrible," he cried.

"What do you mean?"

"It was a – a werewolf. Like – like the ones in your stories..."

Elise felt a sharp stab of guilt enter her heart. It was her fault – if only she'd known – she'd had no idea that her silly bedtime tales affected him so…

"Oh Robbie, I'm sorry…"

"That's not all," he sniffed, "It was – it was Papa."

"_What_?"

He nodded violently. "It was him, it was him. Can you believe it? He was there."

"No, no, Robbie. Don't think like that. It wasn't him. It was an illusion. It wasn't really him," she comforted.

"But – but he didn't _want_ to hurt me – he couldn't help it…"

"It's over now, darling, it's over. Don't think about it any longer."

Once he finally seemed to calm down, Elise caught sight of Caspian and immediately sped over to him. He was leaning against the wall, taking the pressure off of his leg.

"What happened to you?" she demanded, almost angrily.

"I had to fight Miraz. You're hurt," he noticed worriedly, motioning to her forearm.

"It's nothing," she dismissed, examining his injured arm, before moving on to his leg. She quickly tore off strips of fabric from the bottom of her skirt and began wrapping the wounds.

"We really should clean them off, but we haven't any water…" she said sadly.

"I'll be fine. They're not that bad. I think the old man missed anything vital, so there shouldn't be any permanent damage. At least I hope not. A limp would be a bit of a hindrance at this point in my life. But let me see your arm…"

Elise looked at him disapprovingly, as if he could have helped getting stabbed. She allowed him to look at her own arm, which stung but was only shallowly cut. When she finished dressing his injuries, she stood up and looked up at him; moving his hair out of his face, she checked for any other cuts or scrapes. Finally satisfied that she'd done all she could, she turned around to face the rest of the group.

"Good Lord, what happened to Lucy?" she exclaimed. She'd been so concerned with Caspian and her brother that she hadn't noticed the state of the poor girl.

"She's fine," Peter explained, "It looks a lot worse than it actually is – the blood's not hers."

"Oh."

"Where's Edmund?" Susan asked her brother fearfully, "Why is he taking so long?"

"I don't know," he replied gravely.

They waited another few minutes.

And then they saw him. Edmund, drenched in blood.

"Oh my God!" Susan screamed. Both she and Peter ran over and helped him into the main area of the room, where they could lay him down and address his injury.

"Jadis," he managed, coughing up thick, crimson blood.

By this time, tears were already streaming down both Susan and Lucy's faces and the rest of the group was silent with agonizing concern. Peter, in particular, was working desperately to stop the bleeding and his own hands were now sullied as a result.

"Lucy, where's your cordial?" he demanded manically. Peter had never been one to cry – not even as a child – but tears were now gathering in the corners of his blue eyes.

"I don't have it," she sobbed in misery.

Peter stripped him of his armor, and finally the gory sight was exposed. Jadis' sword had penetrated almost completely through his abdomen. There was so much blood that it was initially impossible to tell where the wound actually was. There was no denying it – it was most definitely lethal.

"You'll be fine," Susan chanted irrationally whilst attempting to clean the sweat and dirt off of his face.

But it was clear that this was a lie.

"I – I defeated her," he coughed.

"Don't talk," his older sister ordered softly through her tears, "Save your strength."

"This is it," he continued, ignoring her, "I knew this day would come. I – I saw it in the First Trial… It was inevitable."

"Don't talk such nonsense," Lucy cried, "You will be fine! Don't talk like that, Ed, don't say such things…"

The brown-haired king began to shut his eyes, but Susan slapped him lightly on the cheek. "No, no, no, don't do that! Stay awake, Edmund, stay awake!"

This heartbreaking scene was interrupted, however, by the resounding sound of someone clapping.

"Well done, well done," said a cheery male voice.

They all spun around to see an astoundingly flamboyant-looking man in cream chemise and ruff under a red satin vest with gold detailing. He also wore matching red britches, which made his outfit almost painful to gaze upon. He was probably middle-aged, though it was impossible to be sure, and relatively handsome. He had short, black hair and a matching goatee. There was no doubt as to who the man was.

The Red Sorcerer.

He didn't seem at all concerned with their various injuries, but instead delighted that they had made it through.

"It's great that you're here and everything," Caspian growled impatiently, "But we're a bit busy at the moment."

"Oh, of course," he said, bowing apologetically. In an instant, Edmund was fully healed, as were the rest of them. "There we are," he said. He crouched into a sitting position and snapped his figures twice; miraculously, a throne-like chair appeared under him.

Edmund sat up drowsily and stared at himself in shock – there wasn't even a mark where he had been hurt.

"Now, where was I," the man continued, "Oh yes!" he cleared his throat, "I, as you may have already guessed, am the Red Sorcerer. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, Caspian, Elise, and Robbie." He took a deep, almost comical, breath. "My, there are quite a few of you, aren't there? Please, excuse my enthusiasm – I rarely get visitors, you see. But I'm so pleased that all of you passed my little tests. Although," he said thoughtfully, looking directly at Edmund, "some of you had a bit more difficulty than others."

"Now," he boomed gregariously, "what can I do for you? Obviously you haven't come all this way for nothing!"

"They all wish to go home," Caspian explained. Everyone else was too stunned to respond.

"Do you now? Well, I suppose I ought explain the rules before we continue, then," he paused, "You each have one wish – that makes seven wishes all together, for those of you who struggle with mathematics." "Well," he added as an afterthought, "six, now, since I already healed you."

The Pevensies looked at each other in bewilderment. What were they to do with six wishes? That was far more than they needed, but it seemed a shame to waste them.

Elise and Caspian, meanwhile, were more than slightly preoccupied with their own tumultuous situation. Elise was white as a sheet, already emotionally drained from Edmund's previous predicament. Caspian, similarly affected, stood close by to make sure that he could catch her if she fainted, which seemed like a completely plausible scenario.

Finally, she shattered; this moment had been as impending as a ticking time bomb.

"I can't, I can't," she repeated, tears pouring from her eyes. She started to crumble to the ground, but Caspian supported her. She clung to him and began shaking violently both with sobs and anxiety. Robbie stared at his older sister in panic and looked as if he wanted to cry too – to see her so dismayed was extremely disturbing to him. _She _was supposed to be the strong one. She was older. She was his big sister – he looked up to her. She couldn't be like this, she just couldn't. And he was completely powerless; there was absolutely nothing he or anyone could do to ease her anguish.

Their situation was so distressing that even Caspian had to repress tears. He knew that breaking down wasn't an option, but it felt like he was being pierced through the chest and the pain was infinitely more than his actual stab-wound had been.

She sobbed his name over and over again, to the point where even Susan came to pity her. She may have truly loved Caspian, but when she last left Narnia she was strong enough to put her feelings aside and make the logical decision. Elise, clearly, was not. That was where they differed greatly: Susan was ruled by her brain, and Elise by her heart. Elise was extremely emotionally driven, almost to a fault; when she was happy she was ecstatic, and when she was sad she was distraught.

The other Pevensies could only stand and watch in a helpless silence, while the Red Sorcerer didn't seem to know what to make of the sight. It was disturbing to all parties.

Elise tried to compose herself, she genuinely did, but she just could not. What life? What life was she to have? Before this fateful turn of events, she'd known exactly what she wanted: a family, children, a home. It was simple. Her life would have been simple, but she would have been happy. She didn't need the adventure. She didn't need the excitement. She'd have been content to live a mundane life. Perhaps it would have been boring, but that was not an issue for her.

But now! How could she ever go back? How could she ever live normally? How could she ever be happy? She could never marry, she could never have children; all of her aspirations were lost! How could she ever even look at a man who wasn't Caspian? Her stomach churned at the idea of being with someone else. She had seen the meaning of life, but she could not have it – perfection had been dangled in front of her, only to be ripped away. Her existence had been forever spoiled by the knowledge of true happiness – of true love.

She couldn't face this reality.

"You have to be strong, Elise," Caspian begged, his voice cracking.

"I can't." Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was shaking her head vigorously. He held her head still and pressed their foreheads together; "You have to," he instructed weakly, "You have to."

At some point, Susan said to her siblings, "We should leave them alone. It's not right to be watching this – it's between them; it's not our business."

Lucy, who was in full agreement with her sister, tore her eyes away from the couple. "I wish," she said softly, "I wish I had my cordial back, fully filled." "It was running low," she explained discretely to the others.

"Very well," said the Red Sorcerer, only mildly flustered by the despair of the two young lovers. He held out his palm, and quickly the cordial materialized. He then handed it to Lucy. "Next?"

Peter stepped forward. "I wish for the age ban in Narnia to be lifted," he said resolutely.

The Sorcerer smiled broadly, and, for a second, something unbelievably sinister flashed in his eyes. He opened his mouth, presumably to grant the request, but just then there was a movement in the corner of the room; the smile dropped from his face immediately.

"What's that?" Susan asked.

However, her question was soon answered a physical response, as apposed to a verbal one.

It was a lion. An enormous lion.

"Aslan!" Lucy exclaimed with more zeal than anyone had heard from her in a while.

"Hello, my children," he greeted kindly.

* * *

**A/N: So, sorry that wasn't the happiest of chapters... But hey, sometimes angst can be fun. I'm slowly reconciling myself with Susan haha - but I think the comparison between Susan and Elise is true... Susan is actually a much stronger character. I think Elise's emotions can get in the way of her judgment, or at least that's how I imagine her when I write this stuff. **

**P.S. Sorry this kind of seems like it's from the daytime soaps. I know Elise is being a bit dramatic, but hey, she's eighteen. Eighteen-year-old girls can be overly dramatic (trust me, I know…). :p**

**Anyway, please review and let me know your opinion! :)**


	30. Chapter 29

**A/N: Hello again, everybody! Thanks so much to Nankita Durante, Carlypso, TheLostHeroinesOfOlympus, earth17, Amri Ishvique, myinnervoice, EscapeTheFate-TokioHotel-Fan, Loper42, marydidlaugh, Psyche101, shippolove844, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Evy201, and TennisQueen12 for reviewing! You guys are the best! I probably wouldn't have the motivation to continue without you :) I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! (P.S. this is OFFICIALLY my longest story on this site!)**

* * *

**Chapter XXIX**

_Recap: "Aslan!" Lucy exclaimed with more zeal than anyone had heard from her in a while."_

"_Hello, my children," he greeted kindly._

While the Pevensies seemed overjoyed to see the creature, Robbie couldn't help but stare at him with a mild trepidation. Elise, by this point, had barely composed herself. She and Caspian temporarily set their departing ritual aside and gave the lion their full attention; whatever reason he had to be there was surely too important to miss.

"What are _you_ doing here," the Red Sorcerer asked with thinly masked irritation.

"Now, now, Belinas, no need to be cross," Aslan scolded lightly.

For one fleeting moment, the Sorcerer looked furious. But the instant passed as quickly as it came, and soon he was back to his old, cavalier self. "Don't 'now, now,' me, old boy," he said flippantly, "You know that this is my domain. You're not supposed to come down here."

"That may be," the lion allowed, "but this is the first time you've had non-Narnians in your presence."

"Indeed, I know," he replied animatedly, "It _is_ most exciting, is it not?"

"But you're not treating them fairly."

"Oh, pooh. What are you talking about? I'm merely doing what you _failed _to do. I'm sending these poor souls home! Perhaps if you hadn't been so busy doing who-knows-what in who-knows-where, you might have noticed their dilemma."

Aslan ignored this jab and turned to Robbie; "My dear boy, what is it like at home?"

"What do you mean? It's awful. I miss Elise. We all do – Mum, Grandma, and Grandpa – all of us."

"But what is it _like_?"

"I don't understand the question…" he said timidly.

"There's no need to be shy, Robbie – I mean you no harm. No harm at all. But what I mean to ask is this: is Elise actually _gone_?"

"Well, she hasn't disappeared, no…"

"What?" Elise exclaimed in shock.

"That's right, my dear," Aslan said to Elise. Now everyone was thoroughly confused.

"But no, Ellie – I mean, you're _there_ but at the same time you're not."

"Why don't you explain everything that happened, Robbie. Elise, what's the last thing you remember from your world?"

"I – I don't even know… It seems like so long ago… Oh yeah! I was getting eggs or something. And – and then something happened… I don't know. I was in the street, I think."

Robbie nodded eagerly. "You were in street and a carriage hit you," he explained, "Charlie rushed you to the hospital and called Grandma and Mum and Grandpa."

"How long ago was this?" Elise interrupted.

"A few months ago, I think."

"So I've been here and gone for the same amount of time?" she asked Aslan.

He nodded regally. "Yes. The amount of time that passes in both worlds is not always constant – sometimes it is more in one place and less in the other, or sometimes it is the other way around. Anyway, Robbie, continue your story."

"So you were rushed to the hospital. By the time I got home from school I knew something was wrong because you weren't there to pick me up – instead it was Grandpa. He said that you had an accident and took me to see you. But when I got there you just looked like you were sleeping. At first I thought you were dead and I was so upset but then I noticed that there was all this stuff hooked up to you and that you couldn't be dead. The doctor said that you were alive and that you might wake up soon. But you didn't. After the first month he said that you might never wake up. When I got here, you were still like that."

Everyone stood complete astonishment.

Elise's first reaction was to be angry with Robbie for not telling her this earlier, but she figured that it never crossed his mind – he was just so happy to see her healthy that he didn't think anything of it.

She didn't even notice when her knees gave way; luckily Caspian was there, ready to hold her up. He too had a look of solemn surprise on his face.

"I don't understand," she finally said feebly, "Why does this matter. If I just go home, everything will return to normal, will it not?"

Aslan shook his head grimly, causing his mane to sway majestically.

"Then what will happen?" she demanded more boldly.

At first, no one answered her, partially because only two people knew the answer: Aslan and the Red Sorcerer.

"You ought not go back," Aslan said finally.

"What?" Her voice was in complete monotone. She couldn't comprehend what she was being told.

"If," he began, "if you go back, you will not be aware – you will be asleep, in a sense."

"I'll be as good as dead, is that what you're saying?" she was clearly on the brink of hysterics, "And you never thought to tell me this? You would have just let me go back to such a miserable existence?" she shrieked at the Sorcerer.

"It is not my place to disclose such information," he replied nonchalantly, examining one of his fingernails. "All I do is grant wishes. I'm not responsible for the consequences."

"So you made us come all this way – go through those wretched trials – for _nothing_?"

"You may still have a wish."

She let out a humorless laugh. "And _you_," she said, turning to Aslan accusatorily, "you never thought to intervene until _now_? We could have been dead by now – Edmund nearly was!"

"I do not expect you to understand my motivations, my dear child," he said paternally, "But this journey was necessary. For everyone, but especially for you."

"Why? Why did I need to be tortured in such a way? You've – you've just told me that I will never see my family again. How is that _necessary_?"

"You are meant to stay here, Elise. In Narnia. This is your place in the universe. It is your destiny, if you will. You cannot deny that you have felt this way at times."

She briefly glanced at Caspian, who was extremely puzzled. He didn't know what to think of the whole thing.

"Ah, you see what I mean?" Aslan asked fondly.

"Why are you ruining all the fun, fluffy?" the Sorcerer whined.

"It's not right; you can't treat them like this. They need to know the full story."

"You keep forgetting," he snarled viciously, before returning to normal, "This is _my_ property. I don't infringe on your land, and you don't infringe on mine. _That's _the arrangement."

"Don't forget your place, Belinas," Aslan warned.

Elise shook her head in disbelief. "If my place was here," she started adamantly, "I would have been born here – my place is at home with my family – Robbie, he needs me…"

"You see, Elise, he no longer does. That was the reason for his presence here – to learn to survive without you."

"You can't honestly expect me to accept that I'll never see him again!"

"It is the way it must be. Fate cannot be rewritten."

"That's a load of rubbish! There is no fate – people make their own way in the world! You can't expect me believe that my entire life was predestined to take this course!"

"You are a unique case, Elise. Most of the time, there doesn't need to be intervention in order to direct a person's path. But such was not the situation with you. You mustn't deny that you feel a certain attachment to Narnia."

"I feel an attachment to Caspian," she blurted out before she could stop herself, "not to Narnia."

He smiled kindly, but said nothing.

"There isn't anything you can do?" Caspian interjected.

"She may go back, but her existence will hardly be an existence at all. I can't imagine why she would want to choose that option."

"Hello?" the Sorcerer interrupted, "Are you forgetting something? You still have four – scratch that, Peter's didn't count – five wishes."

"You mustn't trust him," Aslan warned them insistently.

"Be quiet," he snapped, "You know, these humans are _so _much more interesting than what I've seen before. Most wish for infinite wealth or immortality – but no, no, no, _these _have so much more panache!"

"You can make me well at home?" Elise questioned hopefully.

"Well, no, my dear – I can only affect things in this world, unfortunately. But if there were a sort of bridge between the two…"

"No!" Aslan roared, "You cannot do that!"

"Why?" Peter asked suspiciously. He knew what a bridge meant – he and his siblings could come and go as they pleased – it would be infinitely better.

"Everything people know in your world – everything that is known here in Narnia – will be destroyed. The prospect of creatures coming and going as they please – it cannot be done. I won't allow it."

"He's right, Peter," Susan said solemnly, "Think of what it would do to both Earth and Narnia. Can you imagine fauns running around in Regent's Park? And tanks driving through the How?"

"But Su, we won't be able to come back otherwise."

"That's how it's supposed to be," she replied sadly.

"Listen to your sister, Peter," Aslan said.

"Why were we brought here in the first place, then?" Peter asked.

"You were summoned. I tried to prevent you two from coming, but Belinas intervened…"

"And our tasks," Peter piped in, "why did you allow that to happen?"

"Believe me, Peter," the lion said ruefully, "I do not agree with the way the Sorcerer conducts things. But technically, I do not have power here – you see, there is an agreement…"

"Then how can you stop him from making a bridge?"

"Belinas is cannot to do anything unless someone wishes it."

"So I'm just to stay here, then? That's it? End of story?" Elise interrupted, changing the subject. She couldn't get over it. Her whole journey was worthless – sure, she'd come to like Narnia, but it had always just been a temporary thing – it wasn't her _home_.

"You must."

This revelation was bittersweet. She wouldn't have to leave Caspian; for that, she was thankful. But her heart was torn between two very different types of love – her love for the Telmarine King, and her love for her family. They were equal, and while her heart would have broken if she'd had to leave Caspian, it still broke knowing she would have to leave her family.

And then something dawned on her: "_Why_ am I meant to stay here?" she questioned suddenly.

"You know, deep down."

But no. She wanted a concrete answer. She wanted to hear it out loud.

"I don't think I do."

"Then perhaps you have yet to learn all that you must in order to be happy."

She then did something incredibly stupid; partially because she genuinely wanted to know, and partially because she wanted to spite Aslan. "I wish to know why I have to stay here," she told the Sorcerer.

He smirked pompously as Aslan, before answering, "Young King Caspian is your soul mate. You are meant to be together. This is what the universe dictates. That was a good question, but a bit of a waste of a wish, if you ask me."

Neither she nor Caspian could look at the other; the whole thing was a bit embarrassing, given they had an audience. Plus, it was a bit odd to be referred to as soul mates when they had yet to even verbalize their true feelings to one another.

But this discovery was bittersweet as well. She loved Caspian and she certainly didn't want to leave him, but the notion that her _purpose in life_ was to be with him was a bit disappointing. She was nothing. She might as well have been an inanimate object. She lived to be with him. It sounded romantic, but it was important to keep in mind that _his_ purpose wasn't to be with her – it was to rule his country. He had some greater meaning to his life, whereas she was just an accessory. She knew he didn't feel this way about her, of course, but the discovery still stung and certainly lowered her sense of self-worth.

"You mustn't think that way, Elise," Aslan said as if he could read her thoughts (which, she realized, he probably could). "You are very valuable to this country. You have yet to find your true calling. What the Sorcerer has told you is only one aspect of it.

Elise found this statement neither believable nor comforting, but remained silent. The unhappiness that had been previously directed at having to leave Caspian had now been rerouted to Robbie, and her frustration with Aslan was quickly giving way once more to simple hopelessness.

"You all have four more wishes," the Sorcerer said apathetically.

Susan had had enough of this dallying; "I wish for a temporary porthole to England," she said boldly.

In the center of the room, a swirling ball of light appeared and began to take the form of a doorway. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"What happened?" she asked in confusion.

"You said temporary…" said the Red Sorcerer, before letting out a malicious laugh. "You're going to have to be more specific. Three wishes left – I daresay, I feel like a genie."

"That's not fair!" Edmund exclaimed, outraged.

"Life's not fair, little boy."

"Just let it go, Ed," Lucy said, trying to pacify her brother, "Aslan was right – he doesn't mean us well."

"Wait," Robbie said suddenly, "I want to make my wish before I have to go." It was the first time that he had addressed the entire company. "I want something that will let Elise and me see each other whenever we want."

The Sorcerer stared at the young boy with a mildly impressed look on his face. "That is a very clever request, my boy. Very well, as you wish." With his index finger, he drew two circles in the air. They quickly turned golden and dropped into his hand. "These are two compacts," he said, "When one is opened, the other will burn hot. When they are both opened at the same time, you will be able to see each other." He then handed one to Robbie and the other to Elise.

"Now we only have two left," Peter said, "I wish for a porthole to our respective homes back in England that will last for ten minutes."

The Red Sorcerer looked a little peeved that there wasn't a loophole to exploit, but did as he was asked nonetheless. The same ball of light gathered in the center of the room once more, although this time it did not disappear.

"Well done, my children," Aslan said, "You have all made wise decisions. It is now your time to leave."

"Robbie," Elise said tearfully, crouching down to speak to her brother, "be good. Take care of Mum. Remember that the me at home isn't the real me. Don't forget how I really am, please – I don't want to be remembered as you described me. If you ever need anything, use the mirror. You've been so brave here – it's like Aslan said: you don't need me anymore. You'll be fine; never doubt yourself. But most importantly, remember that I love you more than anything else in the world. Never forget that."

He nodded dejectedly, tears streaming down his face as well. He hugged her tightly and cried, "I don't want to go."

"Now, now," Aslan soothed, "This is not the last time you will see your sister. I have plans for you yet."

"What about us?" Edmund asked.

The lion looked at them sadly, before replying, "The only one who still has business here is Lucy. I am sorry…"

"So I'm banned too, then?" Edmund said bitterly.

"I'm afraid so. You have learned all you can from this place. I may not agree with the Sorcerer's tasks, but the way you conducted yourself was extremely admirable. You no longer have anything to gain from staying here."

"So this is how I am being rewarded…"

"Don't think of it as being banned – think of it as a sort of graduation," he said kindly.

Edmund did not look particularly comforted, but remained quiet. Eventually Susan prodded gently, "We should get going… We only have a limited amount of time…"

When it came time for them to say goodbye, Caspian shook hands with Edmund and Peter and hugged Lucy. When he reached Susan, he hesitated, before holding out his hand. Instead, she hugged him and said, "I don't want there to be any hard feelings between us if this is indeed the last time we see each other."

Relieved that she was no longer angry with him, he gladly reciprocated her embrace. Lastly, he bent down to shake hands with Robbie as well. But the young boy had other plans; he threw his arms around Caspian's neck and mumbled, "G'bye."

The older boy rubbed his back unsurely and replied, "Just remember: this is not the end," before pulling back and giving him a toothy grin. Robbie smiled reluctantly, only half appeased by this assurance.

Next it was Elise's turn to bid her farewells. She hugged everyone goodbye, including Susan.

"I'm sorry I treated you so horribly," she said repentantly.

"No, it was I who treated you horribly – I should have seen what was in front of me. I can't believe I'd been so oblivious."

"_I _shouldn't have infringed…"

"You couldn't help it. I understand," she said, "Plus, it never would have worked between us. I was holding on to something that belongs in the past."

"I'm sorry that this reconciliation is coming now… Perhaps we could have been friends…"

"Perhaps, in another life. But this is how it's supposed to be. Goodbye, Elise."

"Goodbye."

She gave Robbie another final hug, before stepping back and standing by Caspian's side. She wove her arm with his and together they watched as the others passed one by one through the porthole.

When the gateway had closed, Aslan said, "You two shouldn't be sad. This is all for the best. Elise, my child, you must be comforted by the knowledge that you will see your brother again someday."

"Someday" didn't exactly sound promising.

Finally, Caspian spoke up. "I wish Elise and I were safely back at the Telmarine castle," he said.

As soon as the words had left his mouth, the room began spinning. Elise could do nothing but watch as the Red Sorcerer and Aslan's smiling faces slowly faded from view.

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**A/N: And the plot thickens! But the story isn't over yet... Please review! :)**


	31. Chapter 30

**Hey guys, sorry for the delay! I'm been crazy-busy (and still kind of am). Thank you so much to Nankita Durante, Kanika Meskhenet, Loper42, shippolove844, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Carlypso, earth17, Psyche101, -my-forgotten-rose-, Evy201, TheLostHeroinesOfOlympus, marydidlaugh, and TennisQueen12 for reviewing! Hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

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**Chapter XXX**

And then they were back. Standing in the center of Caspian's high-ceilinged office in Telmar. It was as if they'd never left.

"I can't believe it," Elise said, too shocked to put any emotion into her voice.

"That was certainly…" Caspian paused, searching for the right word, "An experience," he finished tentatively.

"They're gone," she said quietly, "They're really gone."

He swallowed the lump that had been building in his throat and replied, "Yes. Yes, they are."

There was a heavy silence, before their eyes slowly met. Nothing needed to be said; they embraced immediately, and Elise felt tears pricking the backs of her eyes for what seemed to be the millionth time. But she didn't cry.

"I – " she started.

"I know," Caspian interrupted, saving her the trouble. "I know," he repeated, lightly kissing the crown of her head.

"I'm going to miss him so much."

"You heard what Aslan said," he assured her, "You'll see him again. And you have your compact."

"I'm so sorry," she continued, "The Pevensies – it must be so hard for you to see them go again."

"I'll get through it," he said, "At least I'm not alone this time."

They had been so consumed in their own circumstances, however, that they failed to notice Artemis sitting at Caspian's desk with his feet up.

"Well, well, well," he said finally, making his presence known, "The prodigal king returns."

"Oh – I didn't even see you there, Artemis," the young royal replied.

"I could tell," he said dryly. It was odd – something had changed. Usually Artemis was so servile and almost sycophantic, but now he seemed apathetic – haughty, even.

"What are you doing here?" Caspian questioned confusedly, "Where's Cornelius."

"He is… indisposed, at the moment."

"What do you mean '_indisposed_'?"

"Miss d'Orsay, why don't you give Caspian and I time to talk," the older man requested.

Elise glared at him viciously – that's how she _knew _something was wrong. Why was he asking to see him alone? Why was he calling him by his first name? "No, I don't think I will," she snapped.

"Please," he said sternly, "It's for your own good, believe me."

Her eyes darted to Caspian's; he nodded in assent. She gave Artemis one last piercing stare before slowly and unwillingly starting towards the door.

"I'll be fine," the Telmarine King insisted.

When she had left the room, Artemis said, "Much has changed since you left, my young King."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Evidently," the other man continued, "much has changed on both fronts – why is the girl still here? Your mission was clearly successful, judging by your entrance."

"It's a bit of a long story. She's not going back."

"Never?"

"No."

"Well, that is indeed a shame…"

"Why would you say such a thing?"

"Well, let's get back to what I was saying about things changing; what I meant when I said that Cornelius was indisposed was that he has been arrested."

"What? Why?"

"It's a bit of a long story," he echoed, "Something about being incapable of acting as sovereign, et cetera. But that's not important. What _is_ important is that I've been put in charge."

"I fail to see where this is going."

"You see, I quite like being King – I don't think I want to give it up."

"Well, that not exactly an option…" Caspian growled, "I'm back now."

"Ah yes, you see, there's the rub. But it looks as if I have quite a bit of support both amongst the court _and_ amongst the people – and it would be a crying shame not to give the people what they want."

"The public loves me – I don't see how they could have consented to such a change!"

"Well, they _did_ love you – it's hard to support a king who disappears without reason over long periods of time, though, if I do say so myself. And who was there to support them in their abandonment? Why, me, of course."

"I didn't abandon them!" he exclaimed, outraged.

"That's not what they think."

"So you've been feeding them lies, basically," Caspian snarled, "You're no better than my uncle."

"You seem to be the only one to think that," Artemis countered coolly.

"Well, as soon as they know the truth – "

"Ah yes, you see, that's an issue. I don't want things to get messy… It wouldn't look good for either of us if there was a public dispute…"

"What are you suggesting?" Caspian demanded, "That I just _give _you the throne? You must be mad!"

"I'm suggesting an alliance. A treaty, of sorts."

"Why would I compromise with you?"

"Because now I have leverage."

"What?"

"Miss d'Orsay should be securely locked in her bedroom right about now – I was going to go with the dungeons, but that seemed so barbaric… We _are _gentlemen, are we not? That's why I'm proposing a peaceful solution to this dilemma."

Caspian now felt like a man who had just lost everything – his position, his love, his friends… But he did not show it. Outwardly, he was as strong and confident as ever.

"What do you want from me," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"You must marry my daughter, Seraphina. There's nothing like a royal marriage to solidify a great partnership between families, am I right? You will still be able to remain King – I will stay as your advisor, of course, your _chief _advisor. And your children – _our _descendants – will go on to rule the country."

"And what of Elise?" That was all he cared about.

"You see, this is why I was hoping she would go home. But rest assured, she will be safe. She may go and live in the country somewhere – we can't have her living around here, of course, but you can support her financially. She will be able to have a happy life."

"Well that doesn't exactly work, you see, because I am in love with her." That was the first time he said it aloud. But she wasn't even there to hear it.

"I _know _that, silly. I've known that since before you two even left. I've known that even before _you _knew it. As long as she doesn't live in the castle, I don't care what you two do. I certainly can't ban you from seeing her. She can be your mistress, perhaps – it's not an uncommon practice. Just as long as your legitimate children go on to take the throne, I do not care."

Caspian stared at the other man like he was completely insane. Did he not understand what the word "love" meant? And how could he permit his own daughter to be betrayed in such a disgraceful way?

"And if I refuse this deal?"

The other man sighed deeply, before replying, "That would be _most_ unfortunate. But I would have to take extreme measures. First of all, Miss d'Orsay would have to be killed, as I'm sure you could have guessed. It's nothing personal, but it's necessary. We can't have her running around with a war going on – her presence might _inspire_ people. Tragedy and true love and all that rubbish. And if then that still doesn't persuade you to make the correct decision, I suppose we would have to go to war."

A brief, fleeting idea crossed Caspian's mind – what if both he and Elise both fled Telmar? But that was impossible – he couldn't abandon his country. He couldn't have such a horrible man take over – not after all that had happened with Miraz. Not after how hard he'd worked. And plus, his responsibility to Narnia was more important that his personal desires. As long as Elise was safe…

"Alright," he said brokenly, "I'll do it. Just let me have one final meeting in private with Elise."

"Excellent!" Artemis exclaimed. "We will discuss the logistics over supper. I'm so pleased – you've made the wise decision."

"But wait – what of Cornelius?"

"He will have to be exiled as well, I'm afraid. But not executed – no, certainly not."

It took every ounce of control he had not to kill Artemis on the spot; his sadness had quickly given way to anger. His head was clouded with rage and he could have sworn that he was seeing red. Who was this man to tell him what to do? To ruin his entire life without cause? Hadn't he been used enough in his lifetime? And now the man wanted to make him a puppet by marrying him off to his daughter? It was disgusting. Truly revolting. But he swallowed his indignation and instead continued his trek to Elise's room.

This was going to be the hardest moment of his life. He just needed to keep his composure until she was sent away, safely out of the castle. Out of harm's way, and out of Artemis' reach.

Then he would strike.

When he got to her door, he saw two burly guards standing outside in the dim, candle-lit hallway.

"Move aside," he commanded.

They looked at each other reluctantly.

"Sir, we have orders…"

"Move aside!" he shouted dangerously, his temper already on edge.

Startled by his malicious tone, they did as they were told.

Elise had been looking out of her large, ovular window at the dark terrace below. She quickly turned as she heard the door open. Immediately, she ran to Caspian and grabbed his hands affectionately.

"Oh, Caspian, what's going on?" she questioned worriedly. She could tell by the look on his face that something was terribly wrong, and she had no idea why she being locked away.

He pulled out of her grasp inelegantly and said, "You need to leave Telmar," as disinterestedly as he could.

"_What_?"

He turned to face her again. "You need to leave," he repeated more forcefully.

"Why?" She was confused. So confused. Why was he saying such things? What had Artemis told him? Why was his demeanor so changed?

"You just do."

"I'm not accepting that as a valid answer!" she shouted adamantly.

"It's complicated." It was more of a plea than a statement.

"I'm not going anywhere without an explanation!" she said, on the verge of tears.

"Trust me, it's better if you just listen to me." He didn't things to be any more painful than they already were.

"Do you know me at all? How can you expect me to just accept this?"

"I'm marrying Seraphina." There. He'd said it. Now he could only watch as they were both destroyed.

"_What_?"

He sighed deeply. He had never done anything so difficult. The Trials? The Trials were nothing compared to this. He'd never even known that such hardship existed. And he had to do it all while remaining pulled-together. He couldn't.

But there was no other alternative.

"You weren't supposed to come back. I had arranged this before you left," he lied. He hated himself for this.

"Can't you call the plans off?" she implored desperately.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

"What about us?"

The conversation skipped a beat. He gathered his thoughts. "I want this marriage to go through," he said finally. This would be easier if she hated him.

"_Why_?"

"Because it's what's best for Narnia. Only good can come from such an alliance between two powerful families."

"This isn't – I can't believe – this isn't you! How could you say such things! Everything you said before we left – about them being vapid! You disliked those girls so much! You're lying to me right now, you're lying!"

"I am not. I only said those things to make conversation. Artemis has enlightened me. He is right – the country needs a queen, and no one is better suited than she."

His heart was breaking. He couldn't see her like this. He needed her to leave. He needed her to get out as soon as possible.

"But Caspian, I _love _you!" she cried.

It was too much. Those words, those words! Why did she have to say such things! Why did she have to make it so hard for him when he was only trying to protect her!

"I think it would be best if you leave immediately."

"I can't – This is not – This can't really be happening." She sat down on the edge of her plush bed and rested her forehead in her palm. She looked as if she might be sick. "Did you hear what I just said to you?"

He nodded rigidly, his stare fixed on a portrait of some pompous-looking man hanging over the bed. He had no idea who the person was. One day there would be a similar one of him hanging somewhere in the castle, and someone else might be thinking the same thing. All that he was feeling now would be obsolete – lost in history. It was the difference he made in the world that truly mattered. Nothing else.

"And you've nothing to say to me?"

He didn't trust himself to speak, so he did not.

"But… But you heard what Aslan said…" she squeaked feebly.

Silence. Finally, he responded, "He said that _I _was _your_ soul mate, not that you were mine."

He couldn't believe that the words had actually left his mouth – that he had the capacity to be so cruel. But it was done. They had already been said; he couldn't take it back, nor did he really want to. _She has to hate me, she has to hate me_, he told himself repeatedly. If something went wrong - if, Aslan forbid, he died in the process of obtaining vengeance, it would be easier for her to move on if she hated him. If he succeeded, well perhaps things could be different. The notion that this all might pass - that victory was attainable - was the only thing tethering him to his sanity.

The color drained from her face and she looked at him with unbelievable clarity. "Who _are _you?"

Still, he said nothing. He couldn't look at her anymore, so he turned his gaze to the wide floorboards.

"When can I leave?" she asked calmly. Calmly. Why was she calm?

"I've arranged for a coach to take you to Ophelia's. I know it's a far journey, but – "

"It's fine. I'll be happy there."

He nodded formally and stepped aside so she could leave.

"Goodbye, then," she said, stepping through the entryway. She slammed the door behind her.

He was left in her room alone. Alone. It was quickly becoming the mantra of his life. Perhaps _this_ was his destiny.

But he had never endured a pain so great, and what was worst was that he had brought this torture upon himself. His position required it of him, but he had still dealt the fatal blow with his own hand.

He slammed his fist into the wood of the door and yelled out in fury and anguish. He couldn't see. His hair was in his face and the room was spinning. He pressed his back to the wall and slowly sunk to the ground, burying his face in his knees.

How had this happened? How could life be so cruel? Why hadn't they warned him – why hadn't _Aslan _warned him? He was supposed to be on his side.

Without her, he had nothing more to live for. His country, his duty, these were the two things that remained. They were most important. Eventually, eventually he would die. But Narnia would live on. He had to remind himself of this. He had to see the bigger picture.

But it was too much. He loved her too much. His responsibility kept him physically grounded, but, if Elise left, he didn't think he would escape with this sanity. His tormented soul would be ripped from his body.

And so, he couldn't let this happen.

He was going to kill Artemis, even if it was the last thing he did.

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**A/N: Sooo I was actually originally planning to make the previous chapter the end and then make a sequel with this as the first chapter, but I decided against it. Better to just keep it all together I think, especially if it's all continuous like this. What do you guys think? Also, I was thinking of MAYBE doing a spinoff type of story focusing mainly on Edmund. Any opinions/takers? Please review :)**


	32. Chapter 31

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much to earth17, Hdjsgsj (lol?), The Red Crayon, Kanika Meskhenet, NatzSti, Psyche101, Nankita Durante, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, myinnervoice, shippolove822, Evy201, Carlypso, and marydidlaugh for reviewing! I love you guys! 3 I'm surprised you were so enthusiastic about the last chapter because I didn't think it was my best... This sounds really sadistic, but I'm glad a lot of you were sad - haha, hear me out - just because that means you're connecting with the characters! That's my number one goal for this whole thing. Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter :)**

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**Chapter XXXI**

Elise left the room, numb.

She was tired. She was distraught. She was so upset that she thought she had to be dreaming. It was a sick sort of unhappiness, a sort so strong that it was almost unworldly.

And she wanted nothing more than to go home. To wake up with a start, in her own bed, only to discover that everything had taken place over a mere night's sleep.

But she knew that this was an impossible wish.

What Caspian had said to her had initially made her want to do dreadful, unspeakable things. Each word that came out of his mouth was another stab to her heart, each sentence evoking some of the darkest thoughts she'd ever had. At some point she didn't even register what he was saying; all she heard when his lips moved was a suggestion of some self-destructive action.

And he wouldn't look at her. He didn't even have the decency to look into the eyes of the girl he was, for all intents and purposes, murdering.

She had very nearly thrown herself off the top of the staircase, but as soon as he was out of sight her brain started working again.

He was lying. She _knew _he was lying. She couldn't accept that she could have been so wrong about the person she loved most in the world. He was hiding something from her. That was the only plausible explanation. That was the only explanation she could bring herself to believe.

She had to figure out why, and she knew just where to go.

_(**Caspian**)_

Caspian stared at himself in the floor-length mirror at the corner of Elise's room.

He looked a mess: his usually well-coiffed dark brown hair was stringy, and something about his face was horribly off. Not to mention his clothes were in terrible disarray, for some odd reason. But he didn't look feeble; no, he just looked changed. His countenance was uncharacteristically hard and mean, but he decided that this new visage suited him better.

In all honesty, however, he didn't really care how he looked. He only wanted to make sure that he didn't appear weak. He just couldn't be seen as the broken man that he had become.

His mind turned wildly as he plotted his course of action. Yes, he would kill Artemis. But it had to be discretely.

The guards' reluctance to obey him supported Artemis' claim that he was, indeed, well liked. This put Caspian in a very difficult situation: he had to kill him without it becoming a suspect. He couldn't have people turning against him. This would be tricky, for his position in the matter would make him a very logical culprit. But he didn't have any other choice.

He knew what he should do, but first there was someone he had to see.

_(**Elise**)_

The maids. They knew everything, according to Ophelia, which meant that they knew about horrible tragedy that was about to take place in the castle.

She rushed down to the laundry room and unceremoniously burst in to see dozens of maids going about their business.

"Is there something ya need help with, Miss?" a young girl of about thirteen or fourteen asked her.

"Yes, actually. I was wondering what happened to Doctor Cornelius."

"Oh, you don't want to be askin' me about that. In fact, you don't want to be askin' _anyone _about that. Whole thing's a big secret. But if you _really_ want to know, Mary's the one with all the gossip. Would you like me to see if she's willin' to tell ya?"

"Please."

The girl nodded and bustled off. A few moments later she appeared with someone who was closer to Elise's age.

"Well, well, well," she said, "Looks like Miss Elise d'Orsay didn't go back to her world after all."

"Can you tell me what happened to Doctor Cornelius," she pleaded frenziedly, "It's very important."

The other girl could tell from the desperation in her tone that she was being sincere, so she dropped her sassy persona. "Oh dear, Miss, what's got you so flustered?"

She just barely kept herself from bursting into tears then and there, but instead said, "Is there somewhere we can go where people won't hear us?"

The other girl nodded and led her to a quieter part of the servants' quarters.

"I was good friends with Ophelia," Elise explained, "and she told me that you guys are the eyes and ears of this place. I figured it'd be a good idea to come here for information."

"Ah, Ophelia! How I miss that girl. Well, any friend of Ophelia's is a friend of mine. I'd be happy to tell you what's happened."

And so, Mary explained how Artemis framed Doctor Cornelius, took the throne, and intended to blackmail Caspian into marrying Seraphina.

"Honestly," she finished, "We servants aren't too happy about this – Lady Seraphina treats us terribly."

"What a despicable man," Elise spat.

"Indeed," Mary agreed, "But no one else seems to think so. I hope I've been a help to you."

"Yes, you have – thank you so much."

"What are you going to do now, Miss, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

Mary nodded vigorously. "That's so romantic. If you ever need any help, the girls and I would be happy to assist you."

"Thank you – this really means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. Good luck!"

With that, Elise left the laundry room and headed up to see Aurelia.

_(**Caspian**)_

It was hard to ignore the sidelong glances, the subtle aura of disapproval, the upward tilted noses. He felt like an unwanted guest in his own home.

But there wasn't time. There wasn't time for any of this pettiness. These people were insignificant.

_These people_ – these people. The ones he was betraying Elise for. To hell with all of them! Why did the think that these – these _vultures_, maggots, vermin – how could he have thought that they were worth it? They were _nothing_. The world was better off without them.

But they were the majority. They made up the state. _They_ were his duty.

And to think! To think that one of these horrid creatures was to become is _wife_! Well, intended to become his wife. He would die before he actually went through with it. But this figure of speech might not be just that for much longer.

And _heirs_! Artemis expected heirs! The very notion made him ill. That thought had never crossed his mind (though it probably should have), but to have children with Seraphina of all people – he couldn't imagine anything worse. To be bound to her in such a way – no. No, he couldn't even let the idea poison his brain. It would never happen.

Cornelius would know what to say, would know what advice to give him. And so he went to the dungeon.

The guards stepped aside with a silent defiance as he stormed between them. He was very nearly ready to hack down anyone obstructing his path, and he made this clear by keeping a firm grip on the hilt of his sword.

Respect was no longer enough. He needed fear, and it seemed that he was succeeding quite well in his attempt to intimidate. Good.

He finally reached the old man, his mentor. The closest thing he had to a father. Wretched, wretched, it was wretched, the state he was in! He sat submissively in the corner of his stone cell, head tilted downwards in defeat.

"Doctor," he boomed, his voice bouncing off the slick walls.

"Caspian?" There was a slight tinge of disbelief in his tone.

"It is I," he said gruffly.

"Oh, my dear boy, what have they done to you?"

"They took her. They made me send her away." Cornelius' mere presence was making him feel like a child again. Like he wanted to break down. He hated it.

"Who? Elise?"

He could do nothing but nod.

"She did not leave, I take it?"

"She could not."

"I see. I was afraid that something like this might happen."

"How could you have known?"

"I couldn't have. But I just – I can't explain it. You should have seen the two of you together. It just seemed right to me. You may not have realized it yourselves, but those around you did. That's usually how these things go. Aslan always has a plan, Caspian."

"Yeah, well I'm failing to see the logic in this one of his 'plans,'" he hissed savagely.

"But she is safe?" the other man questioned.

"For the time being."

"Why have you come here?"

"I presume you are aware of Artemis' plans."

"I haven't heard anything since being locked up in here. Frankly, I'm surprised that you're still alive – I thought that Artemis was planning on killing you and taking the throne."

"Apparently he wants to be a bit more civilized than that, though I would have preferred the former option. He wants me to marry his daughter so that his lineage will be royalty and his station will rise. That's why he's taken Elise."

"Ah, I see. So you're in a bit of a predicament," he said gravely.

"To put it lightly." He dropped his voice to an urgent whisper, "I'm going to kill him," he said, "but I need your help in deciding how. It can't be revealed that I'm guilty."

"You're sure that you want to do that," Cornelius asked with quiet solemnity, "Taking another man's life is no small matter. You will be changed."

"I will be changed without Elise," he retorted passionately.

The older man eyed him warily, before deciding that he choice was indeed well thought out. Love was the only motivation that made such horrid deeds permissible.

"Very well, I shall help you. But first, tell me what you had in mind."

**_(Elise)_**

"Aurelia, Aurelia!" she cried, banging on the heavy wooden door.

Eventually, the elderly woman answered. She looked terrible; her cheeks were sunken, her eyes ringed, and her body hunched. However, she perked up slightly at the sight of the young woman.

"Elise? What in the name of Aslan are you doing here?"

"It's a long story – I need help. I desperately need help. Caspian is trying to send me away. Artemis is trying to make him marry Seraphina. He's trying to make him his puppet."

"I know, my child I know. My servant girl told me after Cornelius was taken. I tried to warn the others, but Artemis has turned them all against us. They think I'm just a delusional old woman. I'm set to leave here tomorrow – they're sending me to live somewhere else. To think! This place has been my home since the time Caspian's parent's were born!"

"I have to stop it, Aurelia, I have to do something."

"I don't know what there is for you to do, Elise. These matters are very complex…"

"You don't understand – I _cannot_ let Caspian marry Seraphina. I'd die first."

"I didn't realize that you felt so strongly for him…"

"Things changed on that trip. I love him, Aurelia, I love him more than anything and he's all I have left. I have nothing – I've lost my family, my home. He's the only thing keeping me alive."

"Those are some very serious words."

"Yes, so you must understand – I _have _to do something. I – I have to kill Artemis."

"The consequences will be very dire if you commit such a crime..."

"I don't care – as long as Caspian gets the throne back, I will be happy. If I'm the one to kill him, none of the consequences will fall on him. I will be the only one to blame. He will be safe. Order will be restored. Perhaps this is why I'm meant to stay here."

"Alright, I shall try to help you the best I can, then. What do you have in mind?"

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**A/N: Hope you all liked it! Please review :)**


	33. Chapter 32

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much to TennisQueen12, Loper42, AlexandraY2J, NatzSti, TheLostHerionesOfOlympus, earth17, Psyche101, Carlypso, myinnervoice, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, marydidlaugh, Evy201, and shippolove844 for reviewing! Love you guys 3! Hope everyone enjoys this next chapter!**

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**Chapter XXXII**

**_(Caspian)_**

"Poison. That seems to be the only option," Caspian stated bluntly.

"What type?" Cornelius asked.

"I don't know. Something that's not obvious. Something that attacks the heart, perhaps?"

"Who are you going to have do it?"

"I can trust no one. I have to do it myself. I'll slip into his chambers and pour it into a glass of wine – that man always was fond of his alcohol. It seems fitting that it should provide his just demise."

"You understand what will happen if you are caught?"

"I will not be."

"But if you are," he pressed.

"I understand."

"As long as everything is clear. I think I know of something that could help you."

"What?" he hissed urgently.

"Dragon's blood. It is immediate – the moment it touches his lips, he will be dead. For this reason, it is important that no one else is in the room when he drinks the wine."

"Why not use something slow-acting, then?"

"Because you don't want him to realize that he has been poisoned and tell someone."

This made sense.

"Won't people be able to tell the cause of death?"

Cornelius shook his head. "Dragon's blood is so rare – I doubt the physicians will be able to recognize its affects."

"Where do I get it?"

"Well, on record, we do not keep it in the castle for obvious reasons. But I have a small vial in my possession – it's in my desk in West Tower."

"Why there? It's nearly deserted."

"Exactly – no one ever goes up there, and I didn't want to risk anyone ever accidentally stumbling upon it."

"Alright, I will get it. This needs to be done as soon as possible – before he can announce the wedding. Good bye, Doctor, I will get you out of here as soon as I can."

"Before you go," Cornelius insisted, "I think you ought to be the one to discover him – it will look less suspicious that way."

"Alright. I will wait near his door and listed for signs of activity or lack thereof. Thank you, my dear friend. You have always been the greatest help to me."

And with that, King Caspian was off.

**_(Elise)_**

"What sort of plan did you have in mind?"

"Well, I don't know, exactly. I'm not really any match for him in the physical sense…"

"That is very true," Aurelia agreed.

"I was thinking perhaps – you're going to be angry with me for this – but perhaps I could… ahem… _lure _him into a sort of trap. You know, kill him when he's not expecting it with a sword or a dagger or something."

"By 'lure' do you mean…?"

"Lure him with my _feminine wiles_, yes."

"But you wouldn't – "

"I wouldn't actually _do _anything, no – of course not. I would just say I would."

"That's very risky."

"It's the only plan I've got. Hopefully it will work."

"And if it doesn't?"

"I'd rather not think about that option."

"A very horrible thing might happen to you –"

"Like I said, I'd rather not think about it," she interrupted hastily.

"Are you sure it is worth the risk?"

"Anything is worth the risk if it will help Caspian."

"Very well. How will you do it?"

"I was thinking of just showing up at his chambers. What do you think?"

"Yes – don't send a messenger. The less people who know about it, the better – you don't want word getting to Caspian."

"Of course not."

"When will you do it?"

"It has to be tonight," she reasoned, "Before I'm supposed to be shipped off. And soon, too – dinner will be ending in around an hour, and I need to get to his chambers before he does."

"Good luck, my child. Hopefully your plan will succeed."

"Good bye, Aurelia. Thank you for your counsel. If – if this _doesn't_ work, know that I wish you the best. If neither Caspian nor I can bring an end to this catastrophe, perhaps it is indeed best if you leave the castle."

_(Later)_

Artemis' chambers were everything that could be expected from the avaricious noble. Embroidered tapestries lined the walls, and every piece of furniture screamed opulence. The tones were mostly variations of red, with the frequent shimmer of gold here and there. On the coffee table was a tea set and a bowl of fruit, by the bed a pitcher of water, and by the door a jug of wine with a goblet fit for – well, – a king. Clearly the man's lavishness transcended mere materialism and headed into gluttony as well.

Elise didn't know quite what to do with herself. She hadn't expected it to be so easy to gain entrance into his bedroom. They really should up the security – there had only been one guard outside, and she'd shattered a vase on the opposite side of the hall to distract him.

She roamed about, fiddling nervously with the handle of the dagger hidden in the folds of her dress. She'd had no idea that an inanimate object could cause such anxiety.

Eventually she settled herself in front of a large full-length mirror and scrutinized her appearance. She'd cleared any sign of her previous misery from her face and done her make up in a very uncharacteristically sultry manner. Her lips were a vibrant red, her cheeks a lively pink, and her eye makeup a smoky black. She had also changed into one of the numerous unclaimed dresses that had been hanging in her armoire – it was a deep red. In retrospect, this had been an excellent choice, as she now blended quite nicely into the room's décor.

For a moment, she stared at the jug of wine pensively. She desperately wanted a drink, but she decided against it; she needed to be at the top of her mental capacity. Instead, she just flopped herself onto his bed and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

After nearly an hour, she heard the doorknob rattle. A searing sense of terror shot through her, and her entire body tensed; this was it.

Slowly, the door creaked open.

And there he was. Staring at her. Flabbergasted.

"Now, _what _in the world could _you_ be doing in _here_?" he asked. He was already drunk from dinner. Perfect.

The door clicked shut behind him, and she found her voice. "You see, Artemis," she began seductively, "I've found myself in a horrible situation."

"And what might that be, love?"

"Caspian, Caspian, _wretched _Caspian has decided that he doesn't want me anymore," she said with jarring simplicity, smacking her lips loudly after each word.

"Now, that is indeed a predicament," he said, smiling licentiously, "But it fails to explain your presence. Here. In my bed."

She sat up energetically and replied, "Well, I want revenge, of course."

"And?"

"What better way to gain revenge than 'sleep with the enemy,' as they say?"

"That is an intriguing proposition, my dear, and I must say that you _do _look ravishing, but if something were to _occur _between us, it would not change your position in any way. You would still have to be moved out of the castle, as per the king's orders."

"Oh, I understand perfectly. This is meant to be a one-time deal."

"Well, then, as long as we're clear…" he said, licking his lips.

He shrugged his jacket onto the floor and stalked towards her predatorily. Elise's heart began to beat a mile a minute. She had never been more terrified.

His face was mere centimeters away from hers.

And then his hands were on her – all over her. And his breath smelled like stale wine. And he was being rough and her wrists were pinned above her head. She gave it a moment. Maybe he would let up. She arched her back to prevent him from feeling the dagger through the material of her dress, but her actions were misinterpreted and garnered a knowing smirk from the lord.

He drunkenly bit her lip and she let out a short scream of surprise. He hitched up her dress and began fumbling with the ties of her corset. But she was unafraid. The situation was under control…

The door swung open.

It was Caspian.

Both she and Artemis were completely frozen in place.

"What's going on here?" he demanded furiously. He had heard the entire thing, but he wanted to hear the words directly to his face.

"Your dear girl seems to be angry with you," Artemis said after the shock wore off.

"Is this true?" he snarled, turning to Elise. He looked completely heartbroken, and his dark, almost black eyes sparkled with pain.

"I – I uh," she stammered. She couldn't think of anything else to say.

"_You_," he growled, drawing his sword and pointing it towards Artemis.

"Wait!" Elise interrupted before he could do something that would put him in a dire situation, "It was me! I came here on my own accord."

"How could you?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"How could _I_?" she retorted defensively, "How could _you_? All of this is your own doing."

"I – I know you don't understand – but I – it's not…" he trailed off, frustrated with his inability to speak properly. He redirected his rage towards Artemis. "You're going to pay."

"You're in no position to be making threats," he replied nonchalantly.

"He's right, Caspian. I think it'd be best if you left."

"The hell you would! If I'm leaving, _you're _coming with me," he said possessively, reaching out to grab her wrist.

"Who are _you _to say such things to me? You've no authority over what I can and can't do!" Now she was becoming truly angry with him; she tried to wrench herself out of his grasp, but to no avail.

"On the contrary," he snapped, "I'm the one person who does. I'm the king."

By this time, Artemis had sauntered towards Caspian and was watching him in vile amusement.

"As fascinating as this is, I am indeed going to have to ask you to take this little lovers' quarrel elsewhere," he said, pouring himself a glass of wine. All the while, Caspian watched him like a hawk.

"Looks like the only pleasure I'll be getting tonight is from a bottle. It will be such a pity to see a pretty thing like you leave tomorrow, Miss d'Orsay," he said wryly, raising his glass in a mocking salute.

Caspian was behaving strangely.

And then something fateful happened. Artemis took a sip.

Everything was over so quickly. He was on the floor in moments. Elise was paralyzed and Caspian had a hold of her and they were flying through the halls of the castle. Soon they were somewhere that she had never been before. In a tower. Near the stars. It was quiet.

"What's going on?" she sobbed. She didn't know why she was crying, but she had a feeling that something dreadful had just taken place – like they were now in imminent danger. Her gaze was fixed on her quivering hands and she couldn't stop shaking.

"I did it. He's dead. Poison." His voice was in complete monotone.

"You shouldn't have done it."

"Why were you there?" he demanded.

"You're a bastard."

"That doesn't answer the question."

"You're a bastard."

"I know. Why were you there?"

"Because you're a bastard and I love you and I was trying to stop what has already happened."

"Do you realize what you've done?" she cried.

"Why would you want to stop his death?"

"I didn't want to stop it. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kill him before you did, you moron. And now you've gone and ruined everything."

"I haven't ruined anything."

"Yes, yes you have! You're going to be caught!"

"No one will know who killed him."

"They'll know, they'll know."

"Shh, no they won't," he comforted. He couldn't believe it – after all he'd put her through – she still loved him. And _he_ – he'd suspected the worst of her. He'd thought that she had truly gone to Artemis to seek revenge. He didn't deserve her.

"Why – after what I did to you…?"

"I knew it wasn't really your doing. It couldn't have been. I figured you must've been doing something stupid like trying to protect me. It wasn't hard to put together. The maids filled me in on the details."

"You're brilliant," he mumbled into her hair.

"How could you do that to me?"

"It was the most difficult thing I've ever done – but you have to understand – it was for your own good…"

"I don't need to be protected. I'm not a child."

"I did it because I love you. I love you, Elise, and if you stayed here harm would have come to you. I could never have let that happen. I would do anything to keep you safe."

"You're so stupid," she said sadly.

No response.

"You can't ever do anything like this again. You have to promise me."

"I can only promise that I will do whatever is necessary to protect you. I will always do whatever is necessary. No matter what it takes..."

"We can never be apart. You can't do that to me – it's worse than anything else that could possibly happen. You need to understand that I'd rather be dead than separated from you."

"Don't say that. Don't say things like that." He sounded vaguely angry.

"It's true, though, it's true!" She put her hands on either side of his face and forced him to look directly at her. "Whatever happens, Caspian," she said fervently, "I will stay with you."

His eyes searched hers frantically, but he could think of nothing to say. She was clearly not wavering in her decision and he knew he couldn't be hypocritical; he felt the same way about her, and if _she_ tried to convince _him_ to leave it would be futile. After a moment of contemplation, he abruptly pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. It was the most wonderful sensation he had felt in his entire life – it was full of relief, reconciliation, and, most of all, love. All of their troubles seemed to fade into the background. The only thing that mattered was that they were reunited.

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**A/N: We're sooo close to 300 reviews! I know we can do it, guys :p Anyway, thanks to everyone for reading! Please review! :)**


	34. Chapter 33

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Thanks so much to Re-Animated (seriously, thank you SO much), Loper42, TheLostHeroinesOfOlympus, xxxxInu girlxx93839, TennisQueen12, The Red Crayon, Kanika Meskhenet, earth17, myinnervoice, Carlypso, Psyche101, Logan the Awesome, NatzSti, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, shippolove844, iMaryE, Evy201, LynzRules2012, and -my-forgotten-rose- for reviewing! You guys are amazing :)**

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**Chapter XXXIII**

Elise didn't know how long she had been lying in Caspian's arms in the empty stone tower, but she knew that it didn't matter. Time didn't matter. But at some point, he attempted to get up.

"What are you doing?" she asked softly.

"I can't stay here any longer – if someone discovers him while I'm not there, it will be suspicious."

She knew he was right, but she didn't want him to leave.

"Can't we just run away? Move out to a farm in the middle of nowhere or something?"

He smiled sadly. "I wish we could, but you know that I am bound to this position whether I like it or not. This country is my responsibility."

Elise huffed in disappointment, but asked, "What's going to happen now?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly, "But I really can't stay here any longer. Perhaps I ought to be the one to find him – that might be less suspicious."

"Perhaps. What should I do?"

"Just go to your room – stay there. Act like nothing has happened."

"Alright. Let's go."

_(Later)_

After Cornelius and Artemis, Caspian's next advisor in the hierarchy was Amphitryon. He was a short, chubby man, with a sanguine complexion and a straggly gray beard. He was relatively good-natured, except when he was drunk.

Caspian hardly ever consulted him, which, naturally, made him just a tad resentful of the young king. When he did receive attention, however, he was so overjoyed that he often forgot to give actual advice; thus, when Caspian went to see him, he was understandably confused.

"Amphitryon, we must talk," he said gravely. He was standing outside his living quarters and it was nearly one in the morning.

The poor man rubbed the sleep from his eyes, took off his nightcap, and replied, "What is it, my King?"

"There has been a death in the castle."

"Whose?" he exclaimed in shock.

"May I come in?"

Amphitryon clumsily moved aside and allowed Caspian through the doorway.

"Artemis has died."

The man's beady eyes nearly bulged out of his head and he asked, "What was the cause of death?"

"The physicians have yet to determine a cause. They are inclined to say a heart-attack."

"But this is so sudden!"

"I know. That's often how heart-attacks go," he explained with a slight hint of impatience.

"Who discovered the body?"

"I did. I was going to consult with him about some territorial business when I found him lying on the floor. He was already dead when I got there."

"Sweet Aslan, this is a surprise."

"I know, my friend. You are the only other person who knows besides the physicians."

"What are you going to do?"

"I will make an announcement tomorrow informing everyone of what has happened."

"Alright."

"You understand that I am telling you this because it means that you have now become my chief advisor – you mustn't let slip what has happened, do you understand?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," he said humbly. Thank God the man was prone to flattery; perhaps Caspian's plan would run smoothly after all.

"Good. Until tomorrow, then." With that, he turned and walked downstairs and down the hallway, towards Elise's bedroom.

He raised his hand to knock on the door, but she opened before he even had the chance.

"I could hear you walking," she explained in response to his befuddled expression.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Who else could be coming to see me at this hour," she reasoned.

"Can I come inside? I don't want anyone to hear us," he whispered.

"Of course," she said, shutting the door behind him.

"What's the story?" she asked as they both sat at the foot of her bed.

"I alerted the physicians and had them examine the body – they'll be coming out with a verdict early tomorrow morning. And I spoke with Amphitryon and told him what happened."

"What did he say?"

"He didn't seem to suspect anything, but it was never him that I was worried about. Tomorrow I must make an announcement to the whole palace."

"It'll be fine," she assured him, rubbing his back gently.

He turned to her suddenly; "You weren't saying that earlier," he accused.

"I've had time to think. I've come to the conclusion that the best thing to do is stay optimistic."

"Yes, well, I just came here to tell you that. I'll be going. Thank goodness there was never an opportunity to formally announce my intended engagement to Seraphina. Your position here should still be secured."

Elise winced at the last part of the statement, but instead said, "I know I hated the girl, but I can't help but feel sorry for her."

"Yes, well, what happened was completely necessary. There's no use in feeling guilty."

She swallowed heavily and nodded. As he stood up, she caught his wrist. "Please don't leave," she said almost inaudibly.

He turned slightly and allowed his gaze to flicker from her eyes to their hands. He wondered if she realized the gravity of what she was asking.

"It's very late," he said.

"I know. But I don't know if I can bear being away from you again. I feel as if we're going to be ripped apart again at any moment."

"You know that I won't let that happen if I can help it."

"I know, but what if you _can't _help it."

"I can't stay here, Elise."

"Why?" she asked sadly.

"You know why," he asserted, "It's… not proper. We're… we're not…"

_To hell with what's 'proper,'_ she thought. "But we're in love..."

"I'm afraid that's not enough… If people found out… I'm already on thin ice as it is…"

"I wish things were easier," she complained, unknowingly echoing his thoughts.

"As do I, but we shouldn't dwell on that which we cannot control. I'm sorry, my love, but I will see you tomorrow." He kissed the top of her hand and strode silently out of the room.

_(The next morning…)_

At the castle meeting, Elise still felt as unwelcome as she had when she first arrived in Telmar. The only difference was, this time she couldn't have cared less.

The scowls, the sneers, the stares – they meant nothing. She kept her chin helped high and stood near the wall in front of where Caspian was expected to make his address. Her eyes briefly scanned the crowd for any signs of Seraphina, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Eventually, Caspian walked out from a door at the back of the room, two hulking guards on either side of him. The entire company went silent, and the only sound that could be heard was the clicking of his heavy leather boots against the marble floors as he neared the podium. He wore a solemn expression and was dressed entirely in black, as was appropriate.

"Greetings, my comrades," he started, "You are probably all wondering why I called you here today, so I will not dance around the subject. I lament to report that there has recently been a great societal and personal loss. What I mean to say is, there has been a sudden, tragic death in the castle."

There was an explosion of chatter, but silence fell once again as the King opened his mouth to speak.

"My closest advisor, Lord Artemis, was found in his room late last night," he continued, internally wincing at how he was required to disregard Cornelius, "He was dead before the physicians could do anything to help. Although his passing was no doubt untimely – he was only forty years old – no foul play is suspected. The court doctors have officially ruled that he died of an unexpected and unforeseeable heart ailment."

"I insist you all take the time to mourn this horrible loss and attend his funeral tomorrow afternoon," he finished.

Before any questions could be asked, Caspian turned once again and exited the room.

The people erupted in outrage.

"Blasphemy! Treason!" some shouted.

One man took the stage and addressed the company: "This is no coincidence!" he yelled. There was a vague rumble of agreement. "This is the King's doing! He must be punished for his treachery!"

The guards had already begun to tear the man off of the platform and disperse the gathering, but it was clear that he had put ideas in the heads of others.

Another man jumped onto the stage.

"Should we allow a murderer to govern our country?" he questioned.

"No!" was the general consensus.

"Then I demand a trial! We cannot tolerate this type of injustice!"

Elise couldn't stand by and do nothing. She climbed beside him and said, "Get off the stage, there's no need to make a scene. You have no place here."

"And _you_ do?" he snapped.

Now, Elise knew that the majority was against her. But this did not act as a deterrent. "Please, get down," she requested calmly. She needed to keep her head about her.

"You know what _I _think?" he started acidly, "_I _think that this is all _your_ doing. Ever since you've arrived, things in this country have been going sour."

"Don't be ridiculous," someone else piped in, "She's just a girl. And the King had nothing to do with this – he has never done anything that would harm this country in any way, so why would he start now? It doesn't make sense at all – he _saved _us from the tyranny of his uncle."

Finally, someone reasonable. Several other petty fights had broken out, which at least demonstrated that the entire castle wasn't unanimously against Caspian.

The other man opened his mouth to respond, but, before he could continue, he was escorted away by two ironclad soldiers.

"Sorry 'bout that, Miss," said one.

"It's alright," she stammered.

She was shaken; what if there _were_ a trial? How would Caspian fare?

Nonsense. She couldn't dwell on this. There wasn't going to be a trial, and, even if there were, he would be fine. There was no evidence. None at all. The only problem was the timing, which they could surely play it off as a coincidence.

After this brief pep talk, she resigned herself to Caspian's office. Being with him would calm her down. It always did.

And so, she started out of the room as the other people began to file out as well.

At the very back of the crowd, however, she failed to see several figures stoically watching the chaos. There were about five altogether, and amongst them were Octavian, Severo, and Seraphina; they did not look pleased.

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**A/N: Hope you all liked this chapter! Thanks so much for reading and pretty please review :)**


	35. Chapter 34

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much to Velvet, Carlypso, Re-Animated, xxxxInu girlxx93839, NatzSti, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Psyche101, Evy201, shippolove844, and earth17 for reviewing! I hope everyone likes this chapter :)**

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**Chapter XXXIV**

Elise knocked on the door to Caspian's office, but didn't wait for him to answer before stepping inside.

He glanced up briefly from the papers he was reading at his desk and said, "That went horribly."

"Horribly is a strong word…" she replied tentatively, "Not _everyone _was against you – why, just a moment ago a man defended you. I think the court is pretty equally split, if not leaning in your favor."

"Perhaps, but those who are higher up in terms of power are not pleased. They're going to jump at this chance, so I need to be prepared."

"What do you mean?"

"Elise, I know you're not going to want to hear this," he started cautiously, "But if something happens – if I go on trial and am convicted – I've arranged – I've arranged for you to leave. You _must_ leave, you understand? Without me here – well, I don't even want to think about what might happen…"

"We've already established that I am not leaving you under any circumstances," she said coolly.

"Yes, but if I am convicted I will be executed!" he yelled impatiently. Caspian was a kind and reasonable person, but he wasn't used to being defied. Elise's refusal to listen to him – especially when he was only concerned with her best interests – was unbearably frustrating.

"Then so too will I."

"No, you won't be. You won't. I'll never allow that to happen. Even if I'm dead, I will find a way to keep you safe. Everything will be much easier if you cooperate, of course, but even if you do not I have taken measures ensure that your future is secured."

"Let's just not even worry about this," she said in an attempt to change the subject. She couldn't stand such thoughts. She needed a distraction.

"Well, I have a lot work to do," he said, "But you're welcome to stay here, if you like."

She nodded slightly and made her way over to a tall wooden bookshelf. After selecting some sort of history book, she plopped herself in the large cushioned armchair in front of his desk.

About an hour passed, before there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Caspian called.

Slowly, the door creaked open and Amphitryon appeared.

"Hello, Your Majesty – oh, and Miss d'Orsay," he said awkwardly.

"What is it, Amphitryon?" Caspian asked.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news, Your Highness…"

All three of them knew that this was coming. It had just been a matter of time. Quite frankly, though, Caspian was a bit surprised that they had been so prompt about the whole thing – he'd expected it to take a couple of days at the very least.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Many of the nobles in the castle have signed a petition – I tried to talk them out of it, but they were very adamant…"

"A petition?"

"They're petitioning to put you on trial – they think you murdered Lord Artemis!"

"How ridiculous," he said dryly. He shot Elise a knowing look, but luckily the motion went over Amphitryon's head.

"I know, My Lord, I know. We will of course do everything in our power to defend you, and it's extremely unlikely that you actually be convicted. I'm sure that if you just cooperate, this thing will sort itself out naturally…"

"Who is the primary party pressing the charges?"

"Lady Seraphina is said to have initiated the action, but Lord Augustus is the one who is formally pressing charges."

Elise turned to Caspian and whispered, "Who is Lord Augustus?"

"Octavian's father. Remember him?"

"What are we going to do?" Elise asked the two men, internally shuddering at the memory of Octavian and his equally repulsive counterpart, Severo.

"This is hardly unexpected," Caspian commented, ignoring her question.

"What are we going to do," she repeated.

"I don't know. Just go along with it, I suppose. There's really nothing else we can do aside from cooperating and hoping for the best. We just need to act like we have nothing to hide – which is true."

"I agree with His Majesty. There really isn't sufficient evidence – the only reason this accusation is actually coming to fruition is because Lord Augustus is the one leading it."

"When is the date for the trial?" Caspian asked.

"They want to do it as soon as possible – they are trying to make it tomorrow!"

"This is indeed unfortunate. Alas, I am not guilty and I am confident that our legal system will work in my favor. Thank you for letting me know, Amphitryon. You may leave now."

"Er – there's something else, Your Majesty," he said uncomfortably.

"Yes?"

"Erm – well, you see – I realize that he was technically considered an enemy of the state, but I know that you were very close with him… I don't know the best way to tell you this."

"Out with it!" Caspian commanded, worry displayed clearly on his features.

"It's Doctor Cornelius…"

"What about him?"

Oh God, there was no way that this could be good news. No, no, no – he couldn't handle another tragedy. Not now, of all times. His stomach started to churn and he began to feel light-headed. There was no way this could be happening. He didn't even need to hear Amphitryon say the words to know what had happened; the expression on the other man's face revealed all he needed to know.

"He – he was attacked, Sir."

"Attacked?"

"Yes, the guards recently caught a very dangerous criminal and they were out of cells – they had to put him in with Cornelius."

"Well, is he all right?" he asked numbly. He knew he wasn't all right. The question was a formality. He didn't want Amphitryon to evade the issue any longer.

"Well, no, Sir. He's dead."

The room began to spin. Caspian's whole world came crashing down. Cornelius. The man had practically raised him. He was the closest thing to a parent he had ever had; he taught him everything he knew. Without that man, he would have been dead years ago.

But he had now been attacked. Killed. The whole thing reeked of corruption. There was no doubt that the criminal hadn't been put in that cell by accident. Someone had deliberately placed him there, and most likely paid him to kill Cornelius.

But why? For no other reason than to hurt Caspian. To weaken him further. There could be no other explanation.

"And the criminal – the criminal has been executed," he asked gruffly, finally finding his voice.

"No, Sir – I really hate to tell you this, but he escaped through the window of the cell somehow. But I assure you that the soldiers are scouring the city and I will personally inform you when they find him."

"And his wife?"

"She was set to leave the castle today, but she has been allowed to stay for his funeral."

"Thank you, Amphitryon," he managed stoically, "You may leave."

The older man gave the king a pained expression, but left wordlessly.

As soon as he was gone, Elise rushed over to Caspian, who let his stony façade fall.

"Murdered. Murdered. Someone paid to have him murdered," he choked, burying his face in Elise's dress.

"I know," she said miserably, tears gathering in her eyes. She had hardly known Cornelius, but the sight of Caspian so distraught was enough to make her share in his pain.

She stroked his hair in an attempt to comfort him, but she knew her efforts were useless. There was nothing she or anyone could do to dull the sting.

"It's my fault, it's all my fault," he mumbled, "It's always my fault. Always."

"No, don't say that," she ordered, "It's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done."

"If I'd have just let Artemis take the throne…"

"Then other innocent people would have been hurt. There's nothing you could have done to prevent this."

"He was like a father to me," he gritted out.

"I know. But you'll get through this, Caspian, you'll get through this. You need to focus on the trial – he would have wanted you to do everything in your power to right these injustices, and the only way you can do that it to prove that you're innocent and get rid of the corruption in this castle once and for all."

"Elise, I can't – I – I have nothing. I haven't had any family for a while now, but now I don't even have a semblance of one."

"You still have me," she squeaked.

"But you're the only one. Everything else is lost."

"You mustn't think like that…"

"How can I not? I would be dead without that man – I should have been focusing on freeing him, not taking down Artemis. He should have been my first priority!"

"It's no use regretting these things, Caspian. It probably wouldn't have changed anything, anyway. There's clearly someone out there besides Artemis who's trying to take you down. You need to stay strong. You need to show everyone that you're not a force to be reckoned with."

"Oh, I will," he said ferociously, finally looking her in the eye. His despair seemed to have morphed into hatred. "I will find who did this," he insisted, "And I will make them pay. All of them, for this isn't the work of one person. If more blood needs to be shed to right these wrongs, then so be it. Perhaps I was not the one to initiate this battle, but I will be the victor."

Caspian's intensity was a bit frightening, but, if this was the motivation he needed, then so be it.

However, there was something else on her mind: Aurelia.

"Do you think Aurelia has heard the news?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know. I suppose we ought to tell her if she has not, or at least go see her if she has," he said brokenly.

So, that's just what they did. The walked up the long flight of stairs, all the while Elise held on to him supportively. It was odd for her to have to be the emotionally stable one for once, and she was having a hard time adjusting to it. Alas, she did what she could. There was a horrible sense of dread at the forefront of her mind – she sincerely hoped that they did not have to be the ones to inform Aurelia of what had happened.

When they finally reached the door, they noticed that is was ajar. They worriedly stepped inside.

"Aurelia?" Elise called into the silence.

No response.

The apartment was very dark, and there was no sign of anyone.

"Aurelia?" she asked again.

"In here," she heard someone sob.

They made their way into the master bedroom, where Aurelia was on the bed crying. Elise rushed over to her and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry," she said.

"Why him, why him!" she cried, "He did nothing – he was completely innocent! My husband, my husband, my beloved husband. The father of my children. We were married for decades and now he is gone, just like that! Murdered, murdered! How could such an injustice take place?"

Caspian knelt beside Aurelia, too, and held her hand. He knew not what to say, but he hoped that his presence was enough. All she had to do was take one look into his eyes and see that he shared in her pain.

"I will bring justice to this castle," was all he said.

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**A/N: I really hated to do this, but I think it would be pretty unrealistic if Caspian got away unscathed... Please review!**


	36. Chapter 35

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks a ton to Velvet Laughter, Psyche101, NatzSti, earth17, TennisQueen12, Re-Animated, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Evy201, and shippolove844 for reviewing! You guys are what keeps me motivated :) I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter XXXV**

Word of Cornelius' death spread quickly throughout the castle, which meant that Caspian didn't have to make an announcement. For this (and only this), he was thankful – he didn't think he could have done it. He didn't think he could have remained strong in front of those drones of cold, faceless people – his _subjects_ – and calmly delivered news that broke his heart. It was too much to ask.

What pained him the most, though, was that the majority of people were _happy_ about this tremendous loss. They had seen poor, wrongly-accused Cornelius as a criminal, and were thus glad to be rid of him. It was horrid. It was sick.

And there was nothing he could do.

He was constricted to mourning his mentor's death in secret, putting on a mask of indifference each time he was forced to interact with someone who wasn't Elise or Aurelia. But internally, his heart was wrought with sadness. He was reduced, yet again, to helplessness.

And as if this all wasn't enough, it was also the day of his trial.

Everyone who could be there would be. It was a grand affair. People were excited.

This was history in the making.

It was then that he realized – _truly _realized – that he was not a human. At least not from the perspectives of those around him. He was an authority figure, and nothing more. He was neither expected nor allowed to have emotions or desires or fears or hopes. He made decisions, and that was all. He had no soul.

So when he sat beside the judge, overlooking the crowd, he tried not to be too appalled. His eyes nervously scanned the crowd, before settling on Elise. She sat anxiously beside Aurelia in the front row, but when he caught her eye she attempted to give him a reassuring smile. But it just came off as petrified and really didn't make him feel better at all. He prayed that Amphitryon would follow his orders if something were to happen to him.

That was all he cared about – the country? The country could go to hell, for all he cared. If they purposely disposed their only chance at salvation, then they deserved what they got.

"Here, here!" said the plump, aged judge. His name was Lord Stimson, but Caspian would be referring to him henceforth as simply "Your Honor," despite the fact that he was infinitely higher in the hierarchy than he.

"There must be silence before we proceed!" he said impatiently. The noise in the room faded rapidly, until the only sounds that could be heard were the shuffling of feet.

Now, Elise noticed quickly that trials in Telmar where quite different than trials in England. The most evident difference was the lack of lawyers; Caspian was expected to defend himself, and Lord Augustus was expected to convince a jury of ten elders of the King's guilt. He was allowed to employ whatever means he deemed pertinent to the case in order to convict him, and Caspian was likewise allowed to use whatever methods he could to argue the opposite. Thus, he'd brought the castle physicians with him.

"We will now commence," the judge announced, "Lord Augustus, if you would please state your case."

"Certainly, Your Honor. I have called this trial to accuse our king, King Caspian the Tenth, of the murder of Lord Artemis."

"And on what grounds do you base these grave accusations?"

"On the grounds that that Lord Artemis' death occurred the very eve of King Caspian's return. Not to mention, Lord Artemis was doing very well as the temporary ruler of Narnia. It's only natural that he would feel threatened. Also, after extensively interviewing the members of the castle, it has become clear that King Caspian was nowhere to be found on the night of Lord Artemis' death."

"What do you have to say in your defense, My King," the judge said.

"Firstly, I would like to say that the court physicians are here and ready support my assertion that Lord Artemis died of natural causes."

He beckoned for one of the doctors to step in front of the crowd, and an old bespectacled man came forward. "What King Caspian says is true – I did the examination myself, and my colleagues and I have all come to the conclusion that Lord Artemis died of a heart-attack. There was no evidence of foul-play whatsoever."

"You won't mind me asking, then, where you were on the night of the death," Lord Augustus asked.

"I went to sleep after supper."

"That's not what investigation has revealed – my men gained access to your room the next morning and found that your bed had not been slept in."

There was an outburst of chatter in the room.

"Silence," the judge ordered, quickly squelching the noise. "What do you have to say for yourself," he asked Caspian.

He hesitated. All eyes were on him. Elise stood up.

"He was with me," she said shamefully, "In my quarters. With Go-Aslan as my witness, I swear that he was with me. He couldn't have murdered Lord Artemis."

She knew what this implied. She knew the stigma that it would lead to. But if it would help prove Caspian's innocence, then so be it. Plus, it was quite worse to be accused of murder than it was to be caught with a woman you weren't married to – it wasn't even adultery, after all. He reputation was already scarred.

He looked at her with a pained expression, but did not object. They both knew that this was the only believable solution to the dilemma.

"Is this true?" the judge asked.

Caspian swallowed hard and nodded guiltily.

"Sir, that's lecherous behavior – " Lord Augustus protested.

"But it's not criminal," the judge interrupted, "If that was your sole offense, sir, then I am afraid that this meeting has been a waste of time."

"Of course it was not my sole offense. But, My King, you claim that Lord Artemis died of natural causes."

"My physicians verified it as such," Caspian corrected.

"Why is it then, that there was a poisoned jug of wine found in his chambers?"

There was a collective gasp throughout the audience, and the judge struggled once again to maintain order.

"How did you come about this discovery?" the judge asked.

"A rather unlucky servant boy had the misfortune of tasting the wine and collapsed dead in seconds – I saw it with my own eyes. And the more educated among us will know that there is only one such substance that kills so quickly – dragon's blood. That would also explain why the physicians failed to find any traces of poison."

"There is none of that substance allowed in the castle," Caspian interjected.

"Please, Your Honor," Lord Augustus said, addressing the judge, "You can't honestly believe that such a law is vigorously enforced. It is not un-fathomable to believe that a small amount – for that's all it takes, just a small amount – might have slipped into the palace, unnoticed. Hear me now: there is no doubt about it, Lord Artemis was murdered."

"What do you have to say for yourself?" the judge asked Caspian.

"It has already been established," he started, "that I had an alibi for the night. I couldn't have committed the crime."

"It is also not unreasonable to believe," Lord Augustus continued, "that the King could have employed other means of administering the poison – in other words, he didn't have to do it himself."

"Even if there was a murder," Caspian responded, "why press charges against me? If you're going to take that route and say that I could have employed someone to do the deed, it could have been anyone. Why me in particular?"

"Because you had the most incentive, Your Majesty." The last part of the sentence was said biting condescension. "I would now like to call forward Lady Seraphina, Lord Artemis' daughter."

Seraphina stood. Her face was perfectly tear-stained, and she looked just as distraught as was appropriate in her pitch-black gown.

"Why don't you tell your side of the story, dear," Lord Augustus instructed Seraphina kindly.

She sniffed a couple of times, before saying, "There is no doubt in my mind that King Caspian is responsible for my father's untimely death. I will tell the truth, and the truth is this: before Miss Elise d'Orsay arrived in this castle, King Caspian and I were betrothed. The plans were only in their preliminary stages of development, so an announcement was never made. However, before any action could be taken, Miss Elise arrived and the King was immediately taken with her and her… libertine ways. My father insisted that Miss Elise be returned to her home, and, as you all know, King Caspian set out to do so. However, when he returned, still with Miss Elise, my father was not pleased. He said that if King Caspian did not honor his agreement to me, he would reveal his betrayal to the castle. Naturally King Caspian was angered by this, and sought to do anything to uphold his good reputation. He was worried that, if people found out his true nature, his kingship might be in jeopardy."

By the end of her speech, the audience was shocked beyond words. Elise was sure that her jaw nearly hit the floor. Caspian looked completely stunned as well.

"There you have it, sir," Lord Augustus said gravely.

"That entire story was a lie!" Caspian said in outrage.

"I assure you that it is not, Your Highness. I was aware of these plans as well, as were my sons and my colleagues."

Several people in the front row stood to indicate their support.

Elise nearly went blind with rage and started to stand to defend him, but Aurelia held her down.

"You mustn't make a scene, my child," she whispered.

"I can't let them get away with this," the younger woman hissed, "They're going to arrest him! They're going to take him away!"

"I believe that we now have heard enough from the two parties to allow the jury to make a decision," the judge announced, "Do either of you have any closing remarks?"

"I must insist," Caspian began desperately, "that story was a complete fabrication. Obviously a large part of the nobility wishes to dispose me from my position, but for what reason I do not know. Just know, my people, that I am innocent and that my only wish is to protect you and your rights. I have done so thus far, have I not? I would never do anything to put this country in harm's way."

"And you, Lord Augustus?"

"You have seen the evidence. You may decide for yourselves."

"We will rejoin here in four hours when the council has made its decision. For now, court is dismissed," the judge instructed.

People began to trickle out, and Elise and Aurelia waited near the exit for Caspian. He walked towards them slowly, his head hung in defeat.

"I'm going to be executed," he murmured emotionlessly.

Elise clung to his arm in despair and chanted, "No, you're not. You're not. You'll be fine."

But they both knew that this wasn't true.

"Perhaps the council will rule in your favor," Aurelia suggested, "The verdict hasn't been announced yet."

"You saw what happened in there," Caspian said bitterly, "They're all against me. There's no way I'm going to get out of this mess. I have four hours left."

Elise felt sick. She hung on to him for support.

He was there. He was alive. He was tangible. She could feel the warmth of his skin and the beat of his heart beneath his clothes. There was no way that he could be taken from her, that he could disappear. It just wasn't possible.

"The two of you go," Aurelia instructed, "Spend this time with each other."

Caspian and Elise looked at each other cautiously. Neither could imagine that this might be it – that this might be the end.

"But what about you…" Elise started half-heartedly.

"I'll be fine. I know how young love is, believe me, I know. What I would have given to be with Cornelius in his last few hours… But no matter. Go."

They shot her one last hesitant look, before turning to leave. If these were his last few hours as a free man, he sure as hell was going to make the most of them.

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**A/N: Okay, so sorry that these last few chapters have been so depressing :( I promise that it'll get happier eventually! And we're really nearing the end here - there will probably only be a few more chapters (I'm not really sure yet - maybe 3 or 4?) But anyway, please review and let me know what you think!**

**EDIT: Hahaha oh my God, I just read .'s review - the end is not meant to be dirty, but it TOTALLY seems like it. But yeah, they're not meant to be doing what it sounds like. I didn't really think about _what_ exactly they're supposed to be doing, but I didn't have _that_ in mind. HOWEVER, if you want to take it that way (I mean, given their ages it doesn't seem very unlikely)... ;)**


	37. Chapter 36

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! I've been in the midst of finals... Anyway, thanks so much to EscapeTheFate-TokioHotel-Fan, Nankita Durante, TheLostHeroinesOfOlympus, earth17, The Red Crayon, Evy201, Psyche101, Velvet Laughter, -my-forgotten-rose-, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, and shippolove844 for reviewing! You guys are the best :)**

* * *

**Chapter XXXVI**

Caspian hadn't known how quickly time could pass until those four hours were up. As they all walked back into the courtroom, the judge beamed at the young king, causing much bewilderment. Elise took her seat in the front row once again, but, strangely, Aurelia was nowhere to be found. She looked down the row to Lord Augustus and his kin, who all looked very smug.

"There has just been a very interesting turn of events," the judge announced energetically once everyone was seated. "Some crucial new developments have been brought into light. However, before we proceed, I should like to put everyone's minds at rest: King Caspian has been found innocent."

Elise couldn't believe her ears. What? How? Everybody else seemed to share her surprise, given the uproar of noise. The smirks on the nobles' faces dropped beautifully and Lord Augustus looked as if he might have a conniption.

"Someone has stepped forward and claimed responsibility for the murder, and the culprit is in custody now."

_What?_

"Who?" cried a rogue audience member.

"Lady Aurelia, Doctor Cornelius' wife, has admitted to the crime. The council has heard her out and come to the conclusion that her story is valid. She suggested this: after the arrest of her husband, she was enraged with Lord Artemis and sought to have him killed. Doctor Cornelius, given the scientific nature of his work, had kept a small vial of dragon's blood in his possession. She was able to obtain said vial and slip it into Lord Artemis' wine."

"You're taking her word against all of ours?" Lord Augustus questioned in disbelieving rage.

"Well," said an elder, "her story makes the most sense – the motive you suggested for King Caspian was a bit far-fetched, and the service staff has stepped forward and admitted to being aware of Lady Aurelia's treachery, which puts you all in a very unfortunate position. The Council has decided to convict you all of perjury, and come to the conclusion that the King may punish you as he sees fit, since his monarchical control has now been restored."

"Banish them," Caspian ordered dryly, his voice hoarse, "Find out which of them was responsible for Cornelius' death and execute them, but just exile the rest. I want them all out of this castle. They and their families are no longer welcome here." He had never experienced such a bittersweet moment in his entire life. On cue, a group of soldiers stepped forward and escorted Lord Augustus and his ilk away.

"There you have it, good citizens of Narnia," the judge announced, "This issue has been resolved. You may now go and return to your daily activities."

With that, the people began to once again filter out of the hall, still in shock.

Elise, like Caspian, was completely torn as well. It was over. They had done it. They had succeeded. But at what cost? Aurelia had sacrificed herself for Caspian, and, if she knew him at all, he would not stand for this.

"Where is Lady Aurelia now?" Caspian questioned once the room was nearly empty.

"She is in the dungeon, safely in our custody. We put her alone, so as to prevent an incident similar to what happened with Doctor Cornelius," the judge assured him.

"May I speak with her?"

"You may do whatever you like, Your Majesty. I am sorry that this trial has been such an inconvenience."

The King nodded stiffly and, without another word, turned, grabbed Elise's hand, and rushed down to the dungeon.

"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he hissed upon coming in contact with the bars to her cell.

"Can you give us some privacy," Elise asked the guards politely. They nodded in consent and headed up the stairs, leaving the three alone.

Aurelia smiled sagaciously and said, "Admit it, my dear, it was a brilliant solution."

"But you will be executed!"

"A small price to pay for the betterment of Narnia."

"Why? You're innocent – how could you do this? I won't stand for it – they must know the truth – I cannot let this happen to you!"

"We all know that this is the best solution," she warned urgently, "Don't do anything rash. This is how it needs to be. The traitors are gone, yes? Your country is back. The two of you are safe – together. This is exactly how it needs to be."

"I cannot let you die for me," he insisted fiercely.

She smiled again; "Look at me, my child. I am old. I have lived a full life. You – you are young. You have many years ahead of you and a country to lead. Things for you have barely just begun. It would be an enormous tragedy for someone with so much potential to die without reason, with so much yet to do. My husband is gone. My children are grown. I have no further purpose in this world. Let me do this, it is what I want. I want to be reunited with my dear Cornelius. Tell him, Elise. You know that this is right, I can see it in your eyes."

Tears flowed freely down Elise's cheeks; she couldn't speak.

"She's right," she barely squeaked, grabbing the elderly woman's hands through the bars.

"What? How can you say such a thing?" he demanded in shock.

"I can only imagine if you had been killed, Caspian. This is what I would want, too. You know that there is no other option."

"Listen to her, my young king. My time is coming to an end, anyway. I am not afraid. I am happy. Honestly, I am happy – if it is in my power to single-handedly vanquish all the corruption that has poisoned this castle, then I see it as an honor to do so."

"But to die under such false pretenses as these…" Caspian pleaded.

"Then end justifies the means," she stated wisely, "It's your life or mine. There's no way around it."

"I cannot allow this," he said brokenly, "Far too many people have died because of me as it is."

"This is my choice, Caspian. I like to think of it as a bit more honorable than suicide, but this is what I want. Please do not interfere. Think if Elise had been the one to die instead of my dear Cornelius – how would you feel? Think if, on top of that, your death could save the entire country. You must understand my motivations."

"But," he protested feebly, "it's not _right_."

"Sometimes we must make exceptions in our moral codes to serve the greater good."

"C'mon, Caspian, she's right," Elise said sorrowfully, attempting to pull him off of the iron bars. She knew it was horrible, and she sincerely cared about Aurelia – she had been like a surrogate mother to her during her time in Narnia. But if she had to choose between someone and Caspian...

"The two of you must go now. Leave me – I only ask this: make sure that, when all of this is in the distant past, my husband and I are remembered for what we truly were. Not criminals, but martyrs."

"We will," Elise assured her tearfully, "Of course we will. You will never be forgotten. The citizens of Narnia owe you their lives."

"I do not need to be owed, simply remembered. But go, my dears, you have been here long enough. Leave me to my fate. Before you do, though, I would just like to know one thing…"

"Anything," Elise said passionately.

"Did you really do it?" she asked Caspian.

He did not respond, and she took his silence for an affirmation.

"I will not judge you, my boy, because I might have done the same thing, had I been in your position. My only advice is this: be careful. Do not think that what you have done can or ever should be repeated. And also, see to it that they give me the poison... I would rather go with _some_ dignity. But quick, the guards will get suspicious. Off with you."

Caspian, who finally seemed to see the logic in things, tried to peel Elise away from the cell. It seemed that their roles had reversed.

"Let's just do what she says," he instructed miserably.

Finally, she gave in and allowed him to drag her away.

"Oh Caspian," she cried, "Why did it have to come to this?"

"I honestly don't know," he replied desolately, "This will all be over tomorrow. One day, just one more day. And then we can pretend that this entire thing was just a horrible nightmare."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow. The people are anxious. They want this whole thing resolved, which is understandable."

"I can't bear to think of this. I won't be there. I can't be there. You understand, yes? You'll have to go alone..."

"I understand," he replied coarsely.

"I can't believe this is happening," she sobbed.

Aurelia was going to be gone. Dead. Just like Cornelius; the two most kindhearted and innocuous people in the castle, killed. It was madness.

"This is all my fault," Elise murmured. "If I hadn't just... _shown up_ here... None of this would have happened. You wouldn't have left to bring me to the Red Sorcerer and Artemis wouldn't have had the opportunity to take over."

"Don't think like that," Caspian scolded, "I can't bear to think about not having you here, and Artemis would have shown his true colors sooner or later. At least now the corruption has been dealt with."

"Yes, but Cornelius and Aurelia - the price is not worth it!"

He hung his head dejectedly and replied, "I know. You're right. But if Aurelia doesn't do this... I will be killed and then what will happen to you?"

_Ah_, she thought. Now it made sense why he had accepted Aurelia's proposition. It wasn't to save his own skin - no. Nor was it for the betterment of Narnia. It was because he was worried about what might happen to her in his absence.

"You need to get your priorities straight, Caspian. You can't worry about me like that. You can't make decisions based on what effect you think they might have on _me_."

"Elise, you will always be the most important thing in my life. Now more than ever, since you're the only thing I have left."

Somewhat irritated by his overprotectiveness and completely heartbroken by Aurelia's choice, she said, "I'm going to bed now. I will see you... later. Perhaps not tomorrow. We will see, but I don't think I'll feel up to it. Goodnight, Caspian."

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**A/N: Yeah, so another sad chapter... But the next one will be happier! Please review :)**


	38. Chapter 37

**A/N: Okay everyone, here's a happier chapter, just like I promised! Thanks so much to angel19872006, Re-Animated, Kaena Blaise, earth17, TheLostHeroinesOfOlympus, Psyche101, The Red Crayon, Evy201, Carlypso, shippolove844, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, and TennisQueen12 for reviewing! You are all amazing :)**

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**Chapter XXXVII**

_(One month later)_

It was now just Caspian and Elise.

The dissolution of the aristocratic class (almost all of which had been exiled) left a strange void in that castle. There were a few families, of course, that were allowed to stay. But, in general, things were unnervingly lonesome.

For weeks, Elise had stayed shut away in the library, burying herself in books and speaking only to Robbie through her compact whenever she got the chance. Stories and images from another world were her only escape. They almost made her feel like the prior months' horrors hadn't been real – that they had just been stories themselves. Because that's what her life was, now: a story. A dream – a nightmare. It was too fantastical and too strange to ever be real, and yet it was. And no one understood – Caspian, certainly, did not understand, try as he might. She couldn't blame him for it, of course, for it was not his fault. How could he be expected to comprehend how she felt? She knew that he shared in her misery, and had been even more affected by this terrible turn of events. But he hadn't been plucked from everything he knew to be true and thrown into another world completely alone.

And the more she saw Robbie, the more she missed her old, boring life. Boring – the word had a negative connotation. Yes, it had been boring, but it'd also been safe.

But she didn't allow herself to dwell on these thoughts for too long – there was nothing she could do. She had already accepted her fate. She _was _still with Caspian, after all; things could be worse, she supposed.

It was only a month after Aurelia's unjust execution that the fog of misery began to lift. Elise slowly began joking with Caspian again, and her good mood brought his spirits up as well. True, they were still prone to periods of gloom and depression, which was only to be expected. They had lost nearly everyone close to them. But things were improving, and that in and of itself was enough for the time being.

"The palace is very empty," Elise commented one day as she and Caspian took a walk through the gardens. It was a beautiful autumn day (or it seemed like autumn, at least – she still didn't know quite how seasons worked in Narnia), and she had decided that the two of them needed to get some fresh air.

"Indeed," he agreed.

There was something on her mind that she'd been thinking about for a while. She knew that it was an odd suggestion, and she also knew that Caspian might not take to it. But she still decided that it was worth mentioning.

"I think you ought to raise that statuses of some of the servants – some of the more senior ones," she said cautiously. True, it was ludicrous, but it seemed to make sense: _they_ were the ones who supported him in his time of need, so why not reward them?

"What?"

"You know, to make things less… depressing. And then you can hire in a whole new legion of workers to fill their positions."

"To do such a thing… It's unheard of."

"I know, but think about it: they were the ones who defended you, were they not? Some of them are incredibly loyal – isn't that what you want in an aristocracy?"

"Yes…" he conceded, "I'll think about it."

"I really hope you'll listen to me," she insisted.

"I do agree with you that things around here have been quite depressing," he allowed after a short silence. "At least when the nobility was around life wasn't quite so… quiet. Speaking of quiet," he added as an afterthought, "would you like to join me for dinner tonight? Just the two of us?"

"You just said you _didn't_ like the quiet," she observed.

"Yes, well, I don't mind it when you and I – when we're… together," he stammered sheepishly. It was incredibly uncharacteristic of him to be timid about anything, and Elise couldn't help but grin at his adorable change in demeanor. He still hadn't quite gotten used to the idea of… well, of her. Of being with someone that he cared about and that cared about him in return. It was surreal – it was something that he didn't think he would ever experience.

"Aw, Cas, you're so cute when you try to talk about your _feelings_," she teased sarcastically. She found it odd that he could easily profess his love for her with complete and utter seriousness, but, whenever it came to something a bit more… domestic, he became tongue-tied.

He made a disgusted face and replied, "Please don't ever call me that again."

"What? Cas?"

He winced.

"Why, you don't like it? 'Caspian' just sounds so solemn…"

"Exactly," he said in mock-arrogance, "I'm a very solemn man – I must be taken seriously."

Elise could do nothing but laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. "Keep telling yourself that," she replied dismissively.

"Anyway," he said impatiently, changing the subject, "you're coming tonight then, yeah?"

"Yeah," she breathed, turning to face him. They had completed their lap around the garden and were back at the castle arches.

"You want to eat out here?"

"Sure. As long as it's not too cold when the sun goes down."

"It should be all right. If it _is_ cold, I'll have someone make a fire. But right now I've got some work to do," he said, "I'm sending a troop out to investigate that town with the vampires – remember that?"

"I do," she said gravely.

"So I must go and take care of that," he explained, "But I'll see you tonight?" He was studying her face intently, as if trying to gauge her feelings on the matter. She found this odd, given they'd done this many times before.

"Alright," she said enthusiastically, giving him a quick peck on the lips. Before he knew it, she was walking away.

_(Later that night)_

Elise had always liked to dress up. Whenever Caspian asked her to dine alone with him, she took it as an opportunity to beautify herself. Tonight was no exception; she wore a lovely purple gown, and her now-very-long hair fell in soft chestnut waves.

When she arrived in the garden, she saw that it had been nearly transformed. There was a table set up under one of the gazebos, and paper lanterns had been strung along the path and the roof. The atmosphere vaguely reminded her of the festival they had attended in Sulia, only on a much more secluded level. Caspian was already standing here, waiting for her.

"Hello," he greeted, kissing the top of her hand in a very gentlemanly fashion.

"Hi," she replied cautiously.

He pulled her chair out for her, before taking a seat across the table. She examined his face carefully – he looked extremely handsome, as always, and appeared to have attempted to control his dark hair.

"This is all very fancy," she commented suspiciously.

"Yes, well, I just thought that since it was such a nice night…"

"Uh huh."

"What, you don't believe me?"

"I don't know yet," she said, "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Eventually, a male servant came and poured wine into each of their glasses. Once he was gone, Elise said, "Okay, now I _know_ that something's up. You never do this."

"Nothing's up. Don't worry about it. What would you like to eat?" He made a pained expression and mumbled to himself, "I knew the wine was too much…"

"Seriously, what's going on?" she asked, ignoring his request. She had an idea. She wasn't stupid. But she needed to know for sure…

"Looks like you know me too well, huh?"

"Looks like it…"

"Right, well, I was going to do this _after _dinner, but I guess I'll just do it now…"

He stood up, walked over to her, and got down on one knee. Elise clamped her hands over her mouth in surprise. She, like every other girl in the universe, knew what would happen next. She knew that she really shouldn't have been shocked – in fact, when she saw all the fuss, she half-expected this to happen. But now that it actually _was _happening, she realized that nothing could have prepared her for it.

"Elise," he started, taking a small box out from his pocket, "I know you're probably too clever to be too shocked, but I had at least _hoped _to not be too obvious. And I know that we both knew that this was bound to happen eventually… But – right, well, I'm just going to get on with it – Elise, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Well," he added quickly, "not _just_ my wife. Also Queen of Narnia. But I consider the latter to be secondary…"

She nodded tearfully as he slipped an enormous diamond ring onto her finger.

When she didn't say anything for a while, he said, "All that nodding _was_ meant as a yes, right?"

"Of course, you idiot," she laughed nervously, hugging him tightly.

"Brilliant!" He gave her a short, happy kiss before sitting back down across from her.

"I'd really hoped you'd be more surprised," he repeated.

"Ah well, at least I still said yes," she joked. "You don't think we're too young, though? I mean, I'm only nineteen and you're just a year older," she said seriously.

He chewed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully for a moment, before replying, "Is this not a common age to get married in your world?"

"I suppose it is, but still…"

"Are you having second thoughts about me?" The question was only half-serious. He hoped that he already knew the answer.

"Of course not!"

"Then what is the problem?"

"Well… I guess there really isn't one…"

"Think of all the benefits," he reasoned, "Our entire relationship becomes official in the eyes of the law, the country gets a queen – the list is endless."

"I – I suppose you're right… But won't the people think you're marrying a harlot?"

He scoffed and said, "Who cares. I'm sure they'll accept it; they have no other choice. Plus, nothing gets spirits up like a royal wedding. They'll quickly forget everything negative they've ever said about you and make you the nation's sweetheart, mark my words. After all of the doom and gloom I think this is just what Narnia needs."

She couldn't help but smile as his new and somewhat cocky attitude – it was a nice departure from his usual formal, proper self, and it reminded her of how he'd been when they first met. Younger. More carefree.

At some point, food was placed in front of her. But Elise couldn't eat. She just couldn't. She was too excited. She was too nervous.

"Do you think anything will change between us?" she asked almost inaudibly.

"What, when we're married?"

She nodded and watched him closely.

"I shouldn't think so…" He met her eyes and saw that she looked vaguely frightened. "Elise, I don't mean to pressure you into anything," he started repentantly, "If you don't think you're ready, we can certainly –"

"No, no, I'm ready," she insisted, "It's just – being Queen is such a huge commitment – it has nothing to do with you, of course. I love you."

"And I love you, too. So everything will work out. It has to work out. I want everyone to know that we are in love and that we are together so that there are no questions as to the nature of our relationship."

This made sense. He didn't want people thinking she was his whore. Understandable. So why was she so scared?

When they finished dinner and were both standing, he took her hands in his. "Honestly, Elise," he said tenderly, "If you're not ready, I completely understand – I won't be offended."

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she assured him, "And plus," she added, "I guess I pretty much assumed that this would happen at some point – I mean, how could it not? I just didn't think it would be so soon – not that I don't want it to be soon, of course, it's just I'm a little unprepared."

"I'm not exactly prepared, either, but I'm sure that we'll learn together. This isn't exactly the sort of thing that you can be taught beforehand."

"Yes, you're right," she agreed.

There was a strange moment where neither said anything, before she stood on her toes and kissed him softly. She'd meant it to be like the one they had shared earlier in the evening, but it quickly became something entirely different. He settled his hands on her waist and deepened the kiss as she rested her own hands on the collar of his shirt, toying with the buttons.

She pulled away ever so slightly and pressed her forehead against his. "How I wish we were married _now_," she said breathlessly.

He smirked at her and replied, "All in good time, my love, all in good time."

"When shall the wedding be?" she purred.

"As soon as possible, I should hope," he murmured huskily, tightening his grip on her.

"How about tomorrow?" she joked silkily, going in for another kiss.

"How about next week?" he countered when they had pulled apart. Her eyes searched his desperately to see if he was serious. She came to the conclusion that he was.

_Why not_, she thought, abandoning the more reasonable side of her brain. "Sure," she replied.

He raised his eyebrows, only half-surprised at her compliance. In all honesty, he probably would have agreed to be married the next day, but he knew that some pesky preparations were required and that the soonest plausible date actually _was_ next week.

Later, he walked her to her chambers and said, "This is where I leave you, my dear."

"Not for long," she countered cheekily, slipping into her room without another word.

She shut the door behind her and pressed her back against it. Her face began to hurt and she quickly realized that it was because she had been smiling for so long. This was new. Happiness. She'd nearly forgotten what it felt like. She couldn't believe it – she was getting married. Next week. To Caspian. To _King_ Caspian. She would become a queen.

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**A/N: So, as you can probably tell, we're nearing the end of the story! Probably only one more chapter to go :/ It's very bittersweet, but I think this has gone on long enough, and it'll be nice to have everything resolved and tied together at the end. Please review and let me know what you think! I know that the transition from happy to sad was fast - I really struggled with this chapter which was why it took so long. I know what I want to happen, it's just a matter of getting there at this point and I really could bring myself to write any more angst haha. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it despite this :)**


	39. Chapter 38

**A/N: Okay everyone, this is the last chapter! I just want to thank earth17, Amri Ishvique, NatzSti, Psyche101, anonymous, Kaena Blaise, Re-Animated, Carlypso, shippolove844, Evy201, -my-forgotten-rose-, and Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967 for reviewing the last chapter! And of course I'd like to thank in advance anyone who reviews this one. Hope you all enjoy!**

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**Chapter XXXVIII**

The news did not come as much of a surprise to anyone, really. The public was happy; they would finally have the queen they had been pining after for quite some time. Just as Caspian had predicted, the people of Narnia accepted her straight away. It seemed as if they'd never even disliked her in the first place. And the remaining few residents of the castle were hardly shocked – to them, it seemed like the announcement was imminent.

The wedding preparations were strenuous – Elise insisted that they be married outdoors, and because of this the palace terrace seemed to be the most logical location. It would accommodate a large number of people, and it would also allow the public to be involved from below. Everyone could be included.

This had become Elise's new fixation – if she was to be Queen, she needed to get her principles straight. She had adamantly told Caspian that she had no intention of being an "absentee queen," like so many before her, and that she would see to it that they were well-liked by all of Narnia. Not just the nobles, but everyone. Caspian, of course, wholeheartedly embraced this philosophy, as it was in direct accordance with his own. He was exceeding glad to see that she was actively preparing herself for her new duties as a sovereign; he had absolutely no doubts that she would make a wonderful queen.

"I can't wait to be married," she told him one day over lunch.

"The feeling is mutual," he replied with a smirk.

"I'm very nervous, of course," she prattled on, "But I'm confident that everything will turn out all right. How can it not? As long as we're together, everything will be just smashing."

He smiled at her and took her hands in his. "I love you, Elise," he said seriously.

"I love you too," she said earnestly, looking up from her plate. However, as much as she enjoyed being reminded of his affections, she couldn't help but wonder what had brought on this sudden proclamation.

"After we're married people will treat you very differently. It may be difficult to adjust to, so I'm just warning you now."

"I know," she replied.

"_Very_ differently," he repeated, "Servants won't make eye contact with you. You'll have commoners requesting audiences with you. Even nobles will bow as you pass. The whole protocol is a bit jarring, really. I grew up with it so it wasn't as much of an adjustment for me, but I can imagine that it will be utterly foreign to you."

"I understand," she said carefully, "I've been thinking about that, too. I understand the duties that come with the territory. Honestly, Caspian, I'm petrified. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I don't know how I'm going to handle it. But for you – for you I would do anything. So if this is what must happen, then so be it."

"You know that if you're not ready…"

"If you keep saying that I'm going to start to think that you _don't_ actually want to marry me," she joked.

He put his hands up in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm just letting you know that your options are still open."

"Well thank you, but I'm quite sure that I want to go through with it. I've had enough of this semi-sneaking around. As soon as we're married, the world will know the state of our relationship and there will be no questions asked – no matters of propriety, no nothing. We'll be free."

"That's certainly an interesting way of looking at it…" he commented.

"It's true, is it not?"

"Well, yes, but – "

"But nothing! We will be together and we will be free to express ourselves as we wish!"

He laughed. "I'm glad you're so excited."

"And you're not?"

"Of course I am! It's just – well – it's just I don't want you thinking that you're getting into something different than you really are. It's not going to be all fun and games, I have to be truthful. There's going to be a lot of pressure on you… On us…"

"Pressure?"

"Yeah, you know, royal stuff. We've got to set an example for everyone else in the kingdom."

That certainly was a lot of pressure, but she reckoned she could handle it... It couldn't be _that_ hard to set a good example, after all.

A week passed in the blink of an eye. Before she knew it, Elise was standing in front of a full-length mirror with Ophelia by her side. Caspian had taken her advice and elevated the statuses of some of the workers, which meant that Ophelia and her family were now among Narnia's new nobility.

"You look lovely," her friend told her joyously.

"Thanks," she replied, grinning.

It was more her dress that was lovely, she insisted. It was white (of course) with a long train and loose, flowing sleeves. The bodice was very structured, which complemented her figure nicely. Her hair fell down her back in loose waves, and she wore a crown of white flowers atop her head. After the ceremony, it would be replaced with a more metallic adornment.

"Do you remember," Ophelia started, "when you wouldn't even admit that you _liked_ Caspian? To think – now you're getting married to him! I hate to say it, but I told you so."

"Oh, hush – that was ages ago."

"It really was, though, wasn't it? I can't believe it – it seems like just yesterday."

"I don't know – for me, it seems like everything has changed. I feel like I've entered a new life."

"You have," Ophelia said pointedly, "You're living here now – I can't believe it! I'm so glad. Call me selfish, but I really didn't want you to leave."

Elise smiled painfully. "Yes, it looks like life had other plans for me, doesn't it? I really do miss my family terribly, though. And Robbie…"

"Perhaps soon you'll have your _own_ family," the other girl whispered mischievously.

Elise snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "Not for a while yet," she insisted in embarrassment. The thought of having children… No. Just no. She was so unprepared to be a wife – to be a queen! Let alone a mother… She knew it was required of her. She knew that one of the most important reasons for this marriage was so they could produce an heir – she wasn't _completely_ ignorant. Caspian had no relatives to speak of; if something happened to both of them, Narnia would be without a ruler and there was absolutely no one in line for the throne. Yes, they desperately needed an heir. But the thought of it – it was terrifying!

Ophelia did not look convinced by Elise's staunch denial, however, and her eyes twinkled knowingly.

"Stop looking at me like that…"

"Like what?" she asked innocently.

"It's that… _look_ that you do. I don't like it."

"You mean the same look I had when I said that you and Caspian would end up together?"

"Yeah. Don't do it."

"Well, we both know how _that_ turned out…"

"T'was but a coincidence," she dismissed.

"We'll see, won't we?"

"C'mon, Ophelia – it's my wedding day! You're supposed to be supportive!" she accused jokingly.

"Forgive me, Madame," she said sarcastically, falling into a sweeping curtsey, "I will not speak out of turn again."

The pair couldn't help but laugh; Elise hadn't realized just how much she'd missed Ophelia until she was back, bringing her light-heartedness to all. It was especially nice to have her there after all the sadness that had beleaguered the castle.

"You should have seen Robbie's face when I told him I was getting married," she started, "I wish I could have seen it in person. Do you know what he said to me? Well, first he said, 'To who?' and then he said, 'I wish there was some way I could have some of the cake. I bet the cake is going to be delicious.' That's all he could think of! He learns that his only sister is getting married, and all he can think of is the cake. Absurd."

"And yet so like an eight year old boy."

"Very true. I really shouldn't be surprised, actually."

"Hey, I take offense to that," said a voice in the doorway.

No… It wasn't… It couldn't be… She couldn't believe it. Elise spun around, frantically and couldn't help but think that her eyes were deceiving her. Her baby brother. There. Standing in her doorway.

"Robbie?" she exclaimed. "What? How?"

"Aslan thought it'd be nice if I could be here," he replied, beaming. He allowed her to hug him, but not for too long. "You look ridiculous," he commented.

"Thanks," she replied dryly. "Does anyone else know you're here? How long ago did you arrive?"

"Just a moment ago. You're the first person I've seen."

"Hello," Ophelia said, putting out her hand, "I'm Ophelia, Elise's friend. It's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you."

"Nice to meet you too," he muttered sheepishly.

"Don't worry," Elise commented to Ophelia, "He gets much louder once you get to know him, unfortunately."

Robbie didn't reply, but glared at his sister in annoyance. She, in return, ruffled his hair.

"Why does everyone always do that," he protested.

"I wonder if the Pevensies are here too," Elise commented abruptly, ignoring her brother.

"As a matter of fact…" said a young girl, turning the corner into the room.

"Lucy!" Elise exclaimed.

"The one and only," she replied cheerfully, embracing the other girl.

"Are you siblings here?" she asked carefully.

"Actually, they are – Aslan said that he'd rather they leave Narnia on a pleasant note, so he let them come back!"

Just then, Susan entered the room as well.

"This is brilliant!" Elise said happily, tentatively hugging Susan. It was a bit of an awkward situation, but Susan seemed all right with the whole turn of events.

"Congratulations," she said with a smile, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," the bride-to-be replied happily. "Where are you brothers?"

"With Caspian," Lucy answered, "They thought it was their duty to go an try to calm his nerves."

"He can't possibly be nervous…" Elise commented wryly.

"I don't know," Lucy started, "I haven't seen him for myself. But I can't imagine anyone _not_ being nervous about their own wedding!"

"That is true…" she allowed.

"As much as I hate to interrupt this reunion," Ophelia started, "the ceremony's going to begin in five minutes…"

Everyone in the room snapped their head in her direction in panic. "Oh yes, and I'm Ophelia, by the way," she introduced, "I already know who you lot are. To think, I'm in the presence of the Queens of Old! I thought you two were just stories."

"Five minutes?" Elise exclaimed, ignoring the tangent that her friend seemed to be continuing upon.

"Yeah. Any last-minute adjustments?"

Elise turned to the mirror again and inspected herself carefully, before coming to the conclusion that things were about as good as they were going to get.

"I think I'm all right," she gulped.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine!" Susan assured her, patting her hand maternally.

"Out with you, then! Good luck!" Ophelia said, pushing the other girl through the doorway and directing her towards the aisle.

There were hundreds of people on the terrace, and she knew that there were even more waiting eagerly outside the castle gates. Flowers decorated the entire area, and everyone was dressed in their finest attire.

Robbie, Ophelia, Susan, and Lucy quickly shuffled to their seats beside Edmund and Peter in the front, while music began to play.

At the end of the aisle that Elise was meant to walk down lay a gazebo. Caspian approached it first, entering from the right. Then, it was her turn. Her eyes were glued to him as he waited anxiously, and she took her first steps towards him.

The whole thing was extremely nerve-racking – all eyes were on her, and she tried to walk as slowly and calmly as possible. She prayed that her internal state of distress was not obvious.

"You're beautiful," he whispered when she finally reached him after what seemed like an eternity of walking.

"You're not so bad yourself," she quipped back.

He flashed her her favorite lopsided, toothy grin, before Amphitryon began the ceremony.

"Welcome, citizens of Telmar," he boomed, "We are gathered here today for the joyous marriage of our King Caspian the Tenth of Narnia to Lady Elise d'Orsay of…" he hesitated for a moment.

"England," she hissed.

"Lady Elise d'Orsay of England," he finished.

At the end of the long, slightly cumbersome ceremony, they shared a sweet albeit very awkward kiss, which was followed by howls of excitement from the crowd. By this time, the sun had begun to set, casting an orange hue on the stucco Telmarine buildings below the terrace. The city truly was a beautiful sight.

Caspian and Elise stood at the railing, arms wrapped around one another, waving at the cheering people below. He caught his new wife marveling at the view and whispered, "This is all yours, now."

She turned to him happily and corrected, "Ours."

He grinned at her again and repeated, "Ours. A new age has begun."

**The End**

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**A/N: There you have it! I hope you all enjoyed this story, and I want to thank everyone who has read/reviewed/alerted! I don't quite know what I'm going to go on to next, but a spin off/sequel isn't out of the question. For the time being, however, this is finished and on its own. I'm thinking about starting a Pirates of the Caribbean story, so if that interests you definitely say so in a review or shoot me a PM. **

**Again, thank you all so much!**

**- curlycue2102 xoxo  
**


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